It's flu season. Also known as the time of year when moms are doing everything they can think of to help a congested baby get comfortable. Have you been relying on that handy little bulb syringe to give your babe a snot-free sleep? You might want to re-think that!

The latest photo to go viral on Facebook comes from a Kentucky mom who cracked open her baby's nasal aspirator. What she found inside will give moms chills.

So do you have the flu yet? If not, are you scared silly, just waiting for it to strike when you least expect it? Are you gargling with salt water, popping vitamin C by the fistful, and adding heaps of brewer's yeast to every dish? Well, you might be missing one of the more fun ways of preventing the flu: Getting busy between the sheets.

You're coughing, sneezing, barfing, feverish, aching, and you can't get out of bed. You feel like microwaved baboon ass, and the only thing that could improve matters -- aside from an instantaneous cure that can be administered via chocolate cupcake -- is blaming the thoughtless jerk who gave you the flu in the first place.

Welcome to "Help: My Friend Gave Me The Flu," a new Facebook app that does its level best to figure out which of your so-called "friends" infected you with this miserable disease. It won't actually speed your recovery time, but it might make you feel a tiny bit better to focus on plotting your evil revenge.

Let's start with the good news: It's not too late to get the flu shot! Even though there are "spot shortages" of the vaccine being reported around the country and this year's flu shot is only considered "moderately" effective (at 62%), it's still your best bet for avoiding this year's bug, which is (ready for the bad news?) a really, really bad one. How bad?

So far this season, more than 2,000 have died in the U.S. of flu-related complications, a number which has "pushed the illness past the 'epidemic' threshold." Oh, and more bad news: The outbreak could be far from over.

By now, you've no doubt heard all about how this year's flu epidemic is reaching, well, epidemic proportions. And besides being widespread, sounds like it ain't a pretty strain (or strains) of flu this time around, either. Maybe you've already experienced the flu, maybe you were first in line for the flu shot, maybe you're contemplating getting a flu shot but your doctor is wiped out of stock ... whatever your current flu status, you're probably wondering what else you can do to prevent the flu (or any of the other nasty bugs lurking out there).

Thankfully, there are some measures you can take to protect yourself and your family, and they really do work -- although some of these tips might take you by surprise.

Oh the winter cold. I'm battling it right now. I feel like the plague has taken over my body and all I want to do is listen to John Mayer Pandora and have a constant IV drip of green tea into my veins. Naturally, like any other sniffler, I want to get over this five minutes ago. All I want to know is if there is a way for me to feel better ASAP. 

Well lucky for me and all you other seasonal sufferers, there is. In fact, there are a few things you can do to feel better sooner. Check out 10 simple ways to fight a cold fast, here:

During cold and flu season, most of us know to swipe the kitchen counter with an antibacterial wipe and clean our faucet handles frequently. But germs lurk in some surprising places, and despite those precautions, you still might be missing a major source of viruses and bacteria that could make you sick.

If you want to reduce the chances of your family catching a cold and/or the flu this year, follow these six easy steps to germ-proof your house:

When a sick day comes up, there is rarely any warning. You put a healthy child to bed, and when you wake them in the morning, they are burning with fever, stuffy, and miserable. There is nothing sadder than a sick child, but sick children are also bored children, especially when their sickness is only something "mild" like pink eye or a cough.

They can't go to school, but they also can't just sleep all day. So what is a busy mom or dad to do?

There are many activities that kids can do when they're sick that don't require them to run and jump and play, but will also keep them reasonably entertained and not too bored. Here are 10 ideas for sick day "fun":