What do you do (if anything) to help keep those nasty winter
colds or a flu at bay? Do you do anything preventative or just
treat it if it happens? Anyone use extra C or
zinc?

I'vr gone through trying C and garlic and never noticed much effect. IMHO a good healthy diet, and maybe a flu shot if a bad strain is going around.

The best thing I found was the flue shot and to keep yourself in overall good health all the time.

Don't forget to get a pneumonia shot as well. You should only need to get one every 5 years and they don't hurt at all. Pneumonia is the 6th leading killer in the US.

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Christopher Berry
Diabetic Discussion

Good advice, everyone. I don't think many folks remember a pneumonia shot unless their doctor specifically orders it... there should really be much more media coverage about it like there is when it's time for flu shots.

The pneumonia shot, by the way, can also protect against bacteremia and meningitis. While a flu shot should be administered in the fall (ideally September) I think a pneumonia shot can be taken any time during the year and have the same coverage.

I went for my physical just before my doctor left the clinic and she convinced me to take a pneumonia shot. I said no. everytime i would geta fluor neumonia vaccine I woudl be sick with a few days. No one beleived me.
I took the shot and in a week I was battled the croup.. at my age! Two months I had fluid on my lungs and developed a chronic cough.
Not forme I woudnt take another one. The flu for me lasts a weekand its over, a cold about 12 days..... I dont want pneumonia again..........Ill scarf and pump vitamin C first!

It doesn't seem as if it would be a very common thing for the shot to actually
cause those forms of illness. Wonder what the stats say about that
happening? (the percentage of people who get sick, I mean).