Cameron, Senior Director of the Center for Healthy Aging at the National Council on Aging. “Older adults also tend to have more complications from the flu, which can result in pneumonia and put them in the hospital, espe- cially if they have other chronic conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, or lung problems, such as emphysema.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu-related complications can include upper (nose and throat) and lower (lungs) respira- tory tract infections, sinus and ear infections, inflammation of the heart, pneumonia and even multi- organ failure. The flu can also exacerbate preexisting conditions such as asthma and chronic heart disease.
Peak Season
The flu can spread at any time throughout the year, but CDC records show it occurs most often during the fall and winter months, generally between October and March, typically hitting its peak in February. December is also a high month for flu activity. It is spread through contact with bodily fluids, often droplets from sneezing or coughing that can reach people as far as six feet away or from touch- ing contaminated surfaces.
