RIDGEWOOD, N.J., Dec. 13, 2006 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- It's that time of year again. Your throat is scratchy, your nose is stuffed, and your head is pounding and you just can't seem to get rid of it.
You're not alone. Americans get about a billion colds a year with children getting the most -- six to eight a year. In the U.S. alone, between 5 and 20 percent of the population is infected with influenza each year. About 36,000 people die and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized because of influenza complications. But with the right treatment, you don't have to be sidelined this winter.
"When you're starting to feel under the weather, it's often hard to differentiate between the cold, the flu, and allergies," says Dr. Stefanie Ferreri, director of Community Pharmacy Residency Program at the University of North Carolina. "So it's really important to talk with your doctor or pharmacist before these symptoms get any worse and you land yourself in the hospital."
Dr. Ferreri offers advice on how to fight off sickness, even with an increased number of cold and flu bugs floating around, as well as tips on what to do if you fall victim to them.
For her tips on how to beat the bugs this winter, go to www.moreaboutthat.info, click on our Cough & Cold Season segment and then download our podcast to see the segment online.
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