By Occupational Athletics, Inc. OAI
The Top 4 Ways to Avoid Cold and Flu This Season
Cold and Flu Season is officially here, and, unfortunately, cold and flu viruses are extremely contagious. BUT, if you are careful and consistent with your preventative care, you definitely have a good shot at avoiding these illnesses.
Here are the top 4 tips to avoiding the cold & flu…
- Wash Your Hands and Use Hand Sanitizer — a lot. No matter what line of work you’re in, if you come in contact with people who are contagious, or even objects they may have touched, you have to wash your hands over and over throughout the day. ESPECIALLY if you know you were near someone who is sick. To completely get rid of viruses from your skin, you need to scrub hard for 20 seconds or more. A good way to time yourself is to sing “Happy Birthday” twice while scrubbing the backs of your hands, your palms, between your fingers, and under your nails.When you are not near a sink, rub an alcohol-based hand sanitizer onto your hands.
- Don’t Touch Your Face. Cold and flu viruses enter your body through the eyes, nose, or mouth. Touching your face is a major way children AND adults catch colds. Many people have a habit of touching their hands to their face throughout the day – resting your hand on your chin, rubbing your eyes, or even biting your nails– be very conscious where your hands are and if you have washed them.
- Sanitize your environment. If you’re in an environment where germs could be lurking, which you most likely are, sanitize things that may have been touched already- doorknobs, light switches, faucets, refrigerator handles, keyboards, etc. Some people may think it is hyper-vigilant, but if you really don’t want to catch it – better safe than sorry!
- Keep Up A Healthy Lifestyle To Boost Your Immune System. Get adequate rest, exercise on a regular basis, eat foods that give you energy and make you feel well – especially vegetables and fruits. Watch your alcohol consumption. Heavy alcohol use suppresses the immune system in a variety of ways and dehydrates the body.
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