Influenza

As the flu season is quickly approaching, we need to brace ourselves for the potential impact the symptoms may bring upon us.  What people call the flu is actually call influenza.  Influenza has a devastating impact on the United States year-in and year-out.  Even if you are one of the people to avoid contracting influenza, you will more than likely experience the indirect symptoms at home or in your work place.

Each year the Center for Disease Control (CDC) attempts to identify what strain(s) of influenza may impact the United States.  Even as they make their valiant attempts to race out in front of the virus before it rapidly spreads, predicting what strains are present is difficult.  It is even more difficult for the CDC to predict the impact influenza will have during any given year compared to the impact of a previous year.

What we do know with great certainty is influenza will have a devastating impact on businesses across the states.  2014 was one of the worst flu seasons of record.  At least two-thirds for states reported the influenza outbreak reached severe levels.  The CDC estimated the direct cost of the influenza outbreak reached $10.4 billion dollars in costs for hospitalization and outpatient clinic visits.  It is believed that approximately 111 million workdays are lost to influenza-related absenteeism from work.  That amount of lost workdays equates to about $7 billion in lost productivity, annually.  Influenza also has a substantial impact on the elderly, young, and immuno-compromised.

Many people opt for the flu vaccine in an attempt to combat against acquiring influenza.  Unfortunately, the vaccine did not work well during the 2014 flu season.  The CDC estimated the flu vaccine had an 18% effectiveness in 2014.  That is down from what is believed the previous effectiveness of 23%. 

What can you do to help prevent against contracting influenza during this season:

1. - Vary work schedules so less people are in the workplace at a given time 
2. - Limit meetings (gatherings) – the less amount people around each other the less chance there is of contracting the flu
3. - Telecommunicate – take advantage of technology and work from home or other locations
4. - Sick workers should go home – a sick worker can spread the virus to other and increase the impact of the workplace
5. - Encourage parents and partners to stay at home with a sick child.  There is a good chance the adult will bring the virus to the workplace before realizing they are sick themselves.
6. - Avoid touching public surfaces as much as possible
7. - Keep your work area clean and sanitized
8. - Wash hands frequently – Whenever you touch someone else or a public surface, avoid touching your face or anything in your work area until you have washed your hands

Chiropractic care works well to help energize the nervous system.  A healthy nervous system will help promote a healthy immunological response to a virus entering your body.  Chiropractic care, like the flu vaccine, does not guarantee against acquiring influenza. It does promote healthy nervous and immune systems to combat against the foreign body infiltration into your system.  A healthy immune-response can lessen the symptoms and duration of the virus in your body.  Call Savage Chiropractic before the virus enters your system to get you immune system operating at its peak level.