The common flu may be highly contagious, but it doesn't have to hit us hard. Learn more about the steps you can take to lower your chances of catching the bug and stay healthy during the flu season.

The common flu

The flu is a viral infection caused by the influenza virus, which infects the respiratory tract (nose, throat and lungs). The virus is transmitted from person to person in secretions of the nose and lungs, for example when coughing or sneezing.

What are the flu symptoms?

Common symptoms include fever (usually high), headache, tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and body aches. In children, the flu can also have gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.

How can I prevent getting the flu?

You can minimize your chances of being exposed to respiratory droplets by taking these precautions:

Wash your hands frequently or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers (with a minimum concentration of 60 to 95 percent ethanol or isopropanol) to prevent the spread of germs.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, as these are direct entry points for viruses, which can get on your hands when you touched infected objects.

Avoid close contact (6 feet) with a sick person.

Get vaccinated

You can get protected from the flu by receiving the flu shot or vaccination, which is effective within two weeks of the injection. Flu vaccine is an inactivated vaccine, meaning that it contains killed influenza virus.

Vaccination stimulates the immune system to produce an immune response (antibodies) to the influenza virus. It is, however, not a fool-proof protection, as the virus strains vary from flu season to flu season each year, and the vaccine is only effective against strains that match the vaccine. This is why a revaccination is recommended every year.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends annual vaccination for people who are at risk for serious complications from the flu, including the elderly, children 6 to 23 months of age, women who will be pregnant during the flu season, people with chronic heart or lung disease, or any condition that can compromise respiratory function as well as people who are in close contact with someone in a high-risk group.

Maintain overall healthy habits

During flu season, try to stay healthy by eating well, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and lowering stress. Attention to your overall health will help keep your immune system strong and lower your body's susceptibility to the flu.