GOOD NEWS: U.S. Deaths Due To Flu-Like Illnesses See Decline

U.S. deaths due to influenza-like illnesses are down .4 percent.

There’s some good news amidst the Nemo-snowstorm craziness happening in the northeast. U.S. deaths due to pneumonia or influenza-like illnesses are down to 9 percent, a .4 percent drop. This may not seem like a significant drop to the average percent but to officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, its great news.

“We’re not at the end but we’re nearing the en,” Michael Jhung, an epidemiologist at the CDC, told USA Today. The flu’s death rate still exceeds the government’s measurable threshold of 7.4 percent but officials in various states across the country are reporting declines. The CDC is still urging people 65 and older and other high-risk groups to seek antiviral flu treatment quickly if they develop flu symptoms. (KBZK)

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New Mobile App May Track Down Who Gave You the Flu

Misery loves company

A new Facebook app may help you determine who you've caught the flu from. “Help, I Have the Flu” tracks down prime suspects to find the culprit by searching through friends’ profiles looking for keywords such as ‘sneezing,’ ‘coughing,’ and ‘vomiting’ or those who've had multiple late-night posts due to sleep deprivation, as well as their check-ins (possibly to a doctor). The app also allows users to purchase remedies from the healthcare company that runs the app, Help Remedies in the US. (Boston)

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10 Ways to Tell If You Have a Cold or The Flu

Signs to look for to help distinguish the culprit of your illness.

You not only wake up feeling fatigued but with a runny nose and a sore throat, to boot. Do you have the cold or the flu? If it’s the former, you’ll probably recover more quickly and have less intense symptoms. If you have influenza, however, you may be in for a rough ride. The flu could leave you at risk for developing serious complications like pneumonia later on. This list will help you determine which ailment has you feeling under the weather.

A sore throat is a symptom of both the cold and flu. While cold symptoms come on gradually, according to WebMD, flu symptoms come on suddenly. In other words, if you feel like your sore throat came out of the blue, you might have the flu.

Congestion is a symptom of both the cold and flu as well, but colds usually produce a runny nose at the onset of sickness, WebMD reports.

Muscle ache is a symptom of the flu alone, so if you wake up feeling sore and also have a sore throat and congestion, there’s a good chance you have the flu.

Fever, along with the aforementioned symptoms, is typically a sign of the flu.

Both cold and flu symptoms last for about a workweek, but the flu may last longer. If you feel better for a day or two but then suffer from shortness of breath and fever, your flu symptoms may have advanced to pneumonia. Prolonged cold and flu-like symptoms could also mean that you’ve developed a bacterial infection.

If you have an upset stomach as well as the symptoms mentioned above, you may have the swine flu.

Feeling tired? Colds may sap you of energy, but fatigue tends to be a flu symptom.

A cough is a sign of both the cold and the flu, but this symptom is more severe in influenza victims.

Headaches sometime strike cold sufferers, but this is usually a flu sign.

When did you get sick? According to WebMD, flu season typically runs from fall to spring. So if you started feeling out of sorts during this window, you my have the flu.

Call your doctor if your fever won’t go away, it hurts to swallow or your cough or congestion doesn’t disappear. These could be signs of conditions that need immediate medical treatment.

[ALSO READ: Home Remedies for Colds] 

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Get Your Shots! CDC Warns Flu Season Could Be Bad

Suspected cases have jumped in five Southern states, agency says

Have you been putting off a trip to your local pharmacy or clinic for this season’s influenza shot? That’s really not a good idea, according to officials at Centers for Disease Control, who are warning the flu season may start early and could be especially bad. On Monday, CDC officials said suspected flu cases have jumped in five Southern states -- Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. They say the primary strain circulating is making people sicker than other types and is particularly hard on the elderly. The good news is that the U.S. seems to be well prepared for it, said CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden. The vaccine formulated for this year is well-matched to the stains, the CDC has seen. (Associated Press)

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5 Home Remedies to Fight Colds

The items in your kitchen could help you ward off sickness.

There’s no cure for the common cold. Studies show, however, that some foods and activities might help you better manage the sniffles or stop you from getting sick in the first place. Don’t let a nasty cough or a fever keep you in bed during the holidays.

The Chinese Remedy: Mustard greens and sweet potatoes to fight a cold? Sounds like a soul food remedy, but these foods are actually the core ingredients of a soup the Chinese use to fight sickness. “All it is is maybe a pound of broad leaf mustard greens, cooked with a large sweet potato, maybe five or six cups of water, and it’s simmered for three hours,” Grace Young, author of "The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen," explained to NPR.

Chicken Noodle Soup: Try this remedy from childhood to fight inflammation and unclog nasal passages. To boot, chicken noodle soup helps prevent dehydration, a risk colds pose. Make it from scratch with this recipe from ABC News.

Honey: This sweet substance is used worldwide to fight cold symptoms. Honey not only has high levels of antioxidants and antibacterial agents, it also helps to soothe sore throats. Buckwheat honey is arguably the best type to fight colds, according to About.com.

Garlic Tea: If you can stand the taste, try garlic tea to fight infection. Garlic gives the immune system a boost and can help de-congest the sinuses and ease the symptoms brought on by a sore throat or cough. As you start to feel under the weather, try downing a cup of garlic tea. Simply chop up a garlic clove or two and add it to boiling water. You may add honey or lemon as well. Let the tea sit for a few minutes, then enjoy.

Exercise: Going for a run is probably the last thing you want to do if you have a cold, but running might actually help shorten your cold symptoms. Research has shown that regular exercise helps the immune system fight infections from the cold and flu. According to WebMD: “With exercise, the number and aggressiveness of certain immune cells, such as the ones called natural killer cells, increase by as much as 50 to 300 percent. If you exercise regularly, this temporary increase can help make the immune system more efficient at destroying intruders that cause illness such as colds.”

[ALSO READ: How to Budget During the Holidays]

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