The cold weather now setting in signals the official start of the flu season. You probably have your anti-flu arsenal ready – you’re set to get or have already gotten your flu shot, have stocked up on cold, cough and flu OTC meds, throat lozenges, hand soap and sanitizers, disinfectants, and have taken out your warm clothing from the storage. When and even before you do get stricken with the flu, it is important to observe the right self-care strategies –eating healthy food, getting enough rest and sleep and of course, drinking lots of fluids.

Hydration is especially most important when you get sick. Different symptoms of the flu result in fluid loss, further weakening the immune system.

Here, we enumerate the many reasons why hydration should be part of your flu defense plan – both preventive and

Hydration strengthens the immune system 

Water helps in the production of lymph, a clear-to-white fluid that circulates white blood cells and nutrients to all of the body’s tissues. It removes toxins from the blood and also carries with it your immune system’s cells to fight off disease.

Helps Reduce Fever 

Fever is actually your immune system’s defense response to fight illness. A rise in the body’s temperature creates an inhospitable environment for the disease-causing agent – the influenza virus in case of the flu.

Water helps cool you down and replenishes the fluids lost due to fever. And while hydration may relieve the discomfort caused by dehydration,  it is important to keep track of your exact temperature. A temperature above 102F or 38.9C for adults 18yo and above, and kids 2-17yo, may need to be treated with fever reducing medicine. For kids younger than 2yo, and for any high or long-lasting fever, it is best to call the doctor for advise.

Helps Reduce Headache and Body Aches

It is common to experience headache and body aches when you have the flu. These are actually symptoms caused by dehydration too. 

As water makes up 70% of the human body, not having enough renders the cells, the brain and other organs unable to function optimally, thereby causing aches and pains among many other symptoms.

Keeps Membranes Moisturized

Dehydration also results to the mucous membranes in your nose and mouth drying up. The dry air during the cold season only aggravates this and that is why it is essential to keep healthy hydration levels. Sufficient moisture in your nasal passages and the throat helps in getting rid of bacteria and viruses when coughing and sneezing.

Improves Nutrient & Medication Absorption

 Water helps transport any food or medication from the mouth to the gastrointestinal tract where they are digested and absorbed. When nutrient and medicine absorption is efficient, the body is better able to recover from illness.

It is important to keep in mind that consulting with your doctor is the first step you should take once you experience flu-like symptoms, especially since we’re still in the midst of the pandemic.  Only medical professionals can ascertain whether what you have is the seasonal flu or the more concerning Covid-19.

In any case, observing guidelines from health professionals and practicing healthy habits are key to preventing and treating any illness.  And a standard in both of these is maintaining adequate levels of hydration all the time.

Keep yourself hydrated with clean and great-tasting water from the IVO Water Purifier – a compact, faucet-mounted water filtration system with an advanced 4-stage filtration process features hollow fiber membrane, the same technology used in dialysis machines and artificial kidneys in the medical field.  This medical-grade filtration technology removes microscopic impurities and microorganisms as little as 0.1 micron, such as bacteria, microplastics and even sub-microplastics!

Get your IVO Water Purifier here.