A Cup of Hot Herbal Tea for a Healthier Cold Season

As we are approaching the winter season, many of us start feeling the chills deep in our bones; when the weather is that cold, the knee-jerk reaction is to reach to the kitchen cabinet for herbal remedies to fight off the rigors of the season. Most of us in North America know that the winter season often brings about serious respiratory illness/infection, and related complications. Having a layout plan to prevent cold season health related problems would rally well with that famous thought-out saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
One of the most severe respiratory infections that affect five to twenty percent of people living in the United States each year from mid fall to late winter season is known as the flu; the flu can be the cause of serious respiratory infections, debilitating illness, hospitalizations, and even death. The flu is contagious and it affects the respiratory system, the nose, throat, and lungs; it can be contracted through sneezing, handshaking, coughing, or being in direct contact with an affected person. Pneumonia and bronchitis are among some of the serious flu-related complications
People with history of chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, heart, and lung disease are at risk for a setback when infected with the flu virus. In order to prevent the flu, it is recommended that everyone 6 months of age and older, unless contraindicated, get the annual flu vaccine starting from October until May; and according to some experts, since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies that protect against influenza virus infection to develop in our body, it is best that people get vaccinated so they are protected before influenza begins spreading in their community.