LUBBOCK, Texas — It’s the time of year when the doctors offices get busier.
“The plants are changing and losing their leaves, the cotton is being harvested so there’s a lot of allergens in the air,” explained Grace Clinic Dr. Chetlen Crossnoe.
And these temperature swings mean a lot more people are getting sick.
“A big part of it is when it gets cold people go inside so when they’re gathered together like that the more likely they are to pass germs around,” Dr. Crossnoe said.
Those germs stick around.
And when we kick on our heaters, the air gets really dry and that dries out our sinuses which can easily be irritated.
“Stay hydrated and use a humidifier especially by the bed to keep the air moist,” explained Dr. Crossnoe.
Also don’t forget to always wash your hands.
And if you haven’t already, get your flu shot.
“When you get the flu shot it’s not really to help you from getting the flu, it’s to help people from dying from the flu,” explained Dr. Crossnoe. “If you get the flu shot and then you get the flu it’s not going to be as severe. But secondly, there are a lot of people who can’t get the flu shot so for those people the more people that get immunized the better protected they’ll be.”