Flu Season: What You Need to Know to Stay Healthy

There are many reasons to love fall. Summer heat relief, sweater weather, Halloween, fall foliage, pumpkin spice, and more. But one of the things people hate about fall is that it signals the approach of flu season. To help you prepare, here are his eight tips for staying healthy during flu season. 

Get a flu shot: 

The best way to stay healthy during flu season is to get a flu shot every year. The CDC recommends that everyone who is old enough (6 months or older) and seen by a doctor get a flu shot. Vaccines help build immunity to the virus, and your body produces antibodies about two weeks after vaccination. Therefore, you should get the flu vaccine at the beginning of flu season instead of waiting until people around you start getting sick. 

Avoid close contact: 

One thing you can do to stay healthy during flu season is to limit your close contact with people who are sick or showing flu symptoms. This is especially important if a child or other family member is sick and you are caring for them. After coming into contact with a sick person, you should wash and disinfect your hands and do the same for any other surfaces that person touched. 

Wash your hands: 

Washing your hands is always important, but it’s even more important when trying to stay healthy during flu season. You should wash your hands as much as possible, especially if you have come into contact with someone who is sick or potentially sick. It can be difficult to get children to wash their hands enough, but encourage them to wash their hands frequently, even if it seems repetitive. 

For maximum effectiveness, rub with soap for at least 20 seconds. A good way to make sure you’ve washed her well is to have her sing her “Happy Birthday” song twice. Wash your palms, backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your fingernails thoroughly. The temperature of the water is not as important as the scrub, which helps physically remove germs. 

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth:

Washing your hands is effective and proper hand hygiene prevents many diseases, but you should also avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. These areas of the face are common entry points for bacteria that can cause disease. 

Clean and disinfect surfaces: 

Viruses and other germs tend to survive best on hard surfaces, not soft surfaces like clothing and toys. Wipe down counters, trays, electronics, toys, thermometers, and other hard surfaces frequently with a cleaner or disinfectant that kills germs. Although hard surfaces often lead to the spread of germs, you can also wash your clothes and stuffed animals as a safety measure after coming into contact with someone who is sick. 

Pay attention to your overall health: 

One of the best ways to prevent illness during flu season is to practice habits that maintain good overall health. The more healthy you are overall, the more resilient your immune system will be. Eating a healthy diet and increasing your intake of vitamin C and vitamin D can boost your immune system. In addition to staying well hydrated, exercising and staying active will help you stay healthy. Other things you can do to stay healthy to prevent the flu include getting enough sleep and managing stress.

Cover your sneezes and coughs: 

If you or your child is already sick, covering their mouth and nose with a tissue when they sneeze or cough can help prevent the spread of infection to those around them. Droplets from a sneeze or cough can spread quite far in different directions, contaminating surfaces and coming into contact with other people. Be sure to use tissues. However, if you sneeze into your hand or elbow (which many people are instructed to do), wash the area immediately. 

Stay home: 

If you or your child is already sick, one of the best ways to prevent the spread of the flu, other than covering your sneezes, is to stay home. Children and adults should avoid public places while sick and stay home until they are no longer contagious. Although it is inconvenient to miss work or school, staying home will not only contain the disease but also help you recover faster. 

Clean your hands: 

Washing your hands frequently can protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. 

Take steps to clean your air: 

You can improve air quality by bringing in fresh outside air, purifying indoor air, and collecting air outdoors. Cleaner air reduces the risk of exposure to viruses. 

Practice good hygiene and other healthy habits: 

Regularly cleaning frequently touched surfaces, such as countertops, handrails, and doorknobs, can help prevent the spread of some diseases. Also, try to get enough sleep, move your body, manage stress, drink plenty of water, and eat nutritious foods. 

Preventing the flu at work or school: 

Schools: 

What plans does your child’s school, child care program, or college have in place in case of influenza or other illnesses? Are vaccinations offered? please confirm.

Your child’s school, child care program, or university regularly cleans frequently touched objects and surfaces and is fully stocked with tissues, soap, paper towels, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and disposable wipes. Please inquire for availability. 

Also, ask your child’s school, child care program, or university if they are taking steps to purify the air.

Ask about how sick students and staff will be isolated from others, who will care for them until they can go home, and about absenteeism policies for sick students and staff.

Views: 39