“Oh, and by the way…what does D.O. stand for?”

I’ve been asked this several times since starting my practice, usually at the end of a patient visit. It’s time to answer this common question about a doctor’s credentials.

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If you’re reading this any time around the holidays, then the flu bug wants a piece of you.

Influenza is a seasonal virus (November to May) that affects the sinuses, nose, throat and lungs. It’s mostly spread by secretions from the nose and mouth, like when you cough or sneeze. The most severe forms are seen in those who are very old or very young, as well as those with chronic medical problems like lung disease or diabetes.

But anyone can get infected.

Most people experience high fevers, headache, muscle aches and sore throat within a day of getting exposed, and can spread the disease up to 5 days after symptoms start. In susceptible folks, it can cause more severe illnesses, including pneumonia — and even death in about 36,000 Americans (or 14 World Trade Centers) every year.

The best way to prevent flu is to be vaccinated.

There are two kinds of vaccinations: injections and nasal sprays. The spray route is limited to healthy people ages 5-49, is a live virus vaccine, and can occasionally lead to a mild case of the flu.

The injection type is made from inactivated virus, so you cannot get influenza from the flu shot, and it can be received by a wider variety of patients, including children ages 6 months or above. The Centers for Disease Control encourages everyone to be vaccinated against flu, but emphasizes vaccination in certain groups that are high risk:

• children ages 6 months to 5 years
• pregnant women
• people with chronic medical conditions, like lung disease and diabetes
• being 50 or older, even if healthy
• health care workers
• caregivers of chronically ill or elderly people
• parents of children less than 6 months of age

Do NOT get vaccinated if you

• are allergic to chicken eggs
• have had a prior severe reaction to flu vaccine
• have a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome
• currently have a fever from an illness

Flu vaccine is available now. Please contact your doctor for a vaccination.