Cold and Flu Prevention

It is official.  Cold and flu season is upon us!  As the weather gets colder the cold and flu bugs seem to spread like wildfire.  Wondering how to avoid getting a cold or stomach flu this winter?  Here are the top 6 ways to stay healthy all winter long.

1. Get Your Flu Shot

While some people run a risk of getting the flu from the flu shot, it is still the best way of preventing the flu.  Even if someone who has gotten the flu shot still contracts the flu, the bout is usually not as severe as it would be if they did not receive the vaccine.  Nurse Pam offered flu shots earlier in the year.  If you missed out, you still have a chance.  There are various places to get the flu shot, mainly grocery stores and pharmacies.  Go get your flu shot today.

2.  Cover Every Cough and Sneeze…

The old rhyme goes “Cover every cough and sneeze, otherwise you spread disease.”  It was true in childhood and is still true now.  If you come into contact with cold and flu germs and end up getting sick, the biggest thing is to not spread it to anyone else.  Coughing and sneezing are common symptoms of both colds and the flu and are notorious for spreading germs.  The best way to stop the spread is to NOT cough or sneeze into your hands.  The best place to cover a cough or sneeze is the inside of your elbow because it reaches the mouth but does not come into contact with as many surfaces as hands do.

3.  Hands Off!

People touch their faces an average of 4,800 times per day.  Biting nails, touching eyes, scratching noses all give germs and viruses a gateway into the body.  Some of these actions, such as biting nails, are habits and people do not do them intentionally.  Make a conscious effort to touch your face as little as possible to keep the germs out.

4.  Wash Away the Germs

Number three says to stop touching your face so often.  This is because people constantly touch surfaces that have germs on them.  Bathrooms and doorknobs are not the only places that are infested with cold and flu germs.  Keys and cell phones are some of the dirtiest things that people come in contact with on a daily basis.  Think about it, we touch our phones with our fingers (because everything is touch screen now) and then we put our phone to our face.  When we are done we put it back into our pockets or purses right next to our keys.  This leads to another extremely dirty surface that applies to the female population: purses.  What do girls do with their purses when they need to set them down for class or out to dinner?  They put them on the ground exposing purses to germs.

Everyone will inevitably come into contact with germs, so how can they be taken care of?  Wash your hands!  It cannot be emphasized enough.  Wash your hands!  Soap and warm water or antibacterial gel will eliminate germs from your hands.

5.  Go Green…or Red…or Yellow

Studies show that a healthy diet will boost and strengthen the immune system.  An immune system that is stronger has a better chance of fighting off viruses.  But what should people eat?  Dark-green, red and yellow fruits and vegetables are full of antioxidants, beta-carotene as well as vitamins A, C and E.  All of these will naturally strengthen the immune system.  Incorporating these fruits and vegetables into your diet will help your body stay healthy during the cold weather.  Even if you do get sick, you have a better chance of recuperating faster.

6.  Work Out and Cuddle Up

Regular exercise and enough sleep each night, along with that healthy diet, will increase the body’s strength and durability.  With dusk coming earlier each night people feel as if they need to cram as much as possible into the short daylight hours.  Taking 30 minutes out of each day to do a low-impact exercise regiment is all the body needs to be healthy enough to fight cold and flu germs.  Taking a walk with a friend around campus is all it takes.  When is the best time to work out?  According to Dr. Phil the best time to work out is in the morning, right when you wake up.  So take a walk with a friend before class then eat a red apple for breakfast.

Getting enough sleep is a major problem for college students.  The average adult needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night.  This may not be feasible each and every night, but trying to get as close to 7 hours of sleep during the week will not only keep the mind alert, but it will always help keep the immune system strong.

Dr. Erica Brownfield of Emory University School of Medicine told WebMD, “It’s hard to prevent contact with germs.  Keeping yourself healthy is generally the best defense against the flu.”

Short of a plastic bubble there is no surefire way to stay unexposed to cold or flu germs.  Acting on these 6 tips will help keep you away from the most common ways of obtaining or spreading the viruses and keep you healthy enough to not let the cold or flu bring down your winter.