Late fall and early winter is the time when you may start to feel a cold or flu coming on. But there are a few tips to avoiding illness during cold and flu season. There are simple things you can do to prevent a cold or flu before it even starts. Things like upping your Vitamin C intake to moving your toothbrush. Follow these simple tips and you may be able to steer clear of a cold or flu. The first thing you can do and the best way to prevent a cold or flu is to get yourself vaccinated. Anyone who will be in children should absolutely get an influenza vaccine.
If you do feel like you are beginning to feel sick, don't go to work. You are sick, you don't need to get your entire department sick along with you. You need to be resting to get over your illness. If you must go in, quarantine yourself in your office and e-mail people rather than meet them face-to-face.
Another simple tip that can keep you from becoming ill is to wash your hands before you eat. Remember that germs can live on surfaces for up to 36 hours. Before you dig into your lunch, take a few minutes and wash your hands for at least at minute with hot water.
Stop touching your face. Your eyes, nose and mouth are all open to bacteria and when you touch your face you may be introducing bacteria directly into your system.
Keep an eye on your toothbrush. If you live with children or have other housemates, check your toothbrush. If you keep your toothbrush in a communal area make sure the bristles of your brush are not touching any others or move your toothbrush to another location. Think about it. You use your toothbrush daily and germs could be directly introduced to your system through your mouth! If you are just getting over an illness, put your toothbrush through a cycle in the dishwasher to sanitize it or throw your old brush away and purchase a new one.
Lastly, do not cough or sneeze into your hand. You may think that covering your mouth with your hand when you have to cough or sneeze is good manners, but it actually the easiest way to spread your germs to other people. Try coughing or sneezing into a tissue that you will throw away or try coughing or sneezing into your elbow instead of your hand.
Follow these simple tips and you can increase your chances of avoiding illness during this cold and flu season.
If you begin to feel sick, visit your local Plano, TX pediatricians at Forest Lane Pediatrics.
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