4 Common Illnesses to Avoid This Fall Season

Fall brings with it so many wonderful things, such as getting a break from the heat of summer, harvest festivals, fresh produce, and longer nights.

Fall also brings something unwelcomed as well.

October is the beginning of the flu season. That’s not all, either. It seems like the flu is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fall illnesses.

Here are the most common illnesses you should watch out for this autumn, how to protect yourself, and how to treat them if you do become sick.

The Flu

Is there anyone who doesn’t dread the flu?

The aches, pains, fever, and chills that come with the flu make this one of the most miserable fall illnesses a person can get. The best way to prevent getting the flu is to get your annual flu shot.

Scientists from around the world work together to determine what the best combination of flu vaccines is for each year. Due to the flu virus’s ability to change from year to year, the flu shot is never 100 percent effective.

However, even without providing a perfect guarantee against catching the flu, it is still the most effective protection you can get.

When it comes to treating the flu, remember that you can’t take antibiotics to cure it. That’s because antibiotics won’t work on a viral infection like the flu.

Instead, you should treat the symptoms. Get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and take acetaminophen for any body aches.

If you have an exceptionally severe flu, you can see your doctor to get antiviral medication that can help reduce your recovery time.

The Common Cold

The second common illness is just all too common – the common cold.

It is a notorious fall illness that runs rampant through the Northern Hemisphere each year. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are over 1 billion colds every year. Colds are similar to fevers in that they are caused by viral infections and attack the upper respiratory area (throat, nose, and sinuses). However, they rarely cause a fever or chills.

When it comes time to treat a cold, look to treat the symptoms. Again, because the common cold is caused by a virus, you can’t cure it with antibiotics. Instead, treat the symptoms.

For sore throat pain, over the counter pain relievers are a good option. For that annoying cough that comes with a cold, cough syrups with an expectorant can help relieve congestion as well.

Be cautious when using common cold remedies as they usually have similar ingredients. Keep track of what has what so you don’t accidentally take a double dose of medication.

Bronchitis and Bronchiolitis

These two fall illnesses sound similar and even affect the same areas of the body.

They are also both usually caused by viruses. However, they affect different people; bronchitis tends to strike adults and older children while bronchiolitis strikes younger children under the age of 2.

In both cases, the illness manifests through inflammation of the bronchial tubes in the lungs. This makes it difficult to breathe and often creates a cough. You may also see a slight fever.

Bronchitis can be caused by both viruses and bacteria.

Your doctor will be able to determine which you have based on tests. If you have a bacterial infection, they may prescribe antibiotics to help you get better. If it’s a virus that caused the bout of bronchitis, then antibiotics will be ineffective. In most cases, bronchitis goes away after about a week, but a cough can persist for several weeks.

Bronchiolitis is normally found in infants and toddlers. It may rarely cause a fever, but it will produce a stuffy or runny nose.

In infants, bronchiolitis is also often accompanied by an ear infection. While normal care will clear the symptoms up within a week or two, in rare cases, the infection can last for a month.

You should contact your family doctor immediately if your infant has difficulty eating or drinking or has severe difficulty breathing. This is especially important for infants, as their risk for dehydration is high when they cannot feed.

The Stomach Flu

Stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting are all symptoms of what is commonly called the stomach flu. In reality, this isn’t the flu at all, it’s actually gastroenteritis.

The most common cause, however, is a nasty little family of bugs that are individually called norovirus.

The norovirus is highly contagious and can spread quickly, causing a 24 to 72-hour sickness that leaves its victims feeling weak, dehydrated, and nauseous. The CDC estimates that there are 685 million cases of norovirus-induced gastroenteritis each year, with over 200 million of them occurring in children under the age of 5.

Viruses are common illnesses to get from November to April, and often spreads through schools, nursing homes, and daycare centers. It is spread when sick people return to work or school while still contagious with the dreaded common illness. These viruses are also very sturdy, able to withstand prolonged temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

Be careful about what you are eating and who is preparing your food.

The best way to prevent spreading the norovirus is to wash your hands often, especially after you use the restroom. If you are sick, don’t go to work or prepare food for others.

This is especially true if you work with children or the elderly. There is no vaccine for noroviruses, so if you do catch one, you have to just ride it out. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.

For children, this is especially important, because they are at a much higher risk for dehydration. Sports drinks without caffeine or fluids like Pedialyte are the most helpful in these cases.

There’s no hiding from this scary time of the year as we attract a variety of common illnesses. As we all maintain our vigilance protecting ourselves and those around us, don’t forget these simple tips.