Don't let the flu ruin your holiday plans!

While some reports are showing a decrease in flu activity throughout the country, flu related illness is on an upswing in Maine. The holiday season is one of the busiest travel times of the year as folks are about, enjoying visits with family, relatives, and friends. Shopping malls, airports, restaurants, highway rest areas and public restrooms are crowded with people as they go about their preparations for the holidays. Since H1N1 is prevalent, the likelihood of exposure is higher for most of us as we are out and about in these crowded areas this time of year.

There are some relatively simple measures that each of us can take to reduce the likelihood of getting the flu this year.

First, stay healthy; regular exercise, adequate rest, and a good diet is our first line of defense. In addition, find time for yourself to rest and relax. Stress may reduce the effectiveness of our immune systems thus making us more susceptible to infection.

Generally, healthier people tend to weather the flu better than those who are unhealthy or have preexisting medical problems.

Second, take active measures to keep yourself from getting infected using simple techniques such as washing your hands "frequently" with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Especially wash your hands after coming into contact with an object that someone else has handled.  Even something as simple as a pen or pencil could open the doorway for a virus to enter. Bathrooms are inviting places for viral spread so use good hygiene precautions such as using a paper towel as a barrier when you open the door to leave. The eyes, mouth, and nose are common entry points for the flu virus therefore, avoid touching yourselves in these areas. It's also important to be aware of your surroundings. If you are under the impression that a co-worker, friend, etc. is unusually ill, take the precaution to keep some distance.

Finally, we all have a responsibility to prevent the spread of infection to others. It's especially important that we exercise good hygiene practice. Use a tissue or even your elbow when you sneeze our cough and make sure that you wash your hands with soap and water or use a hand-sanitizer immediately afterwards. Make sure you dispose of a used tissue in a proper trash container. When you're infected, use your own drinking glass and be careful not to share from a cup or straw. If you're ill, stay home and wait for the illness to pass( 24 hours without fever and without the use of fever reducing medications).

The holidays are a special time of year where we particularly enjoy the company of others. In doing so, there is no guarantee that you won't get the flu but there's more you can do than you may think to reduce the likelihood of that happening. The use of common sense and good hygiene will go a long way towards a healthy holiday season.