Flu season is starting up again, and you’ll want to be proactive about trying to stay healthy. While you can’t always avoid getting sick, you can try different ways to prevent the flu to the best of your ability. Here are the top 7 ways to prevent the flu and how to stay healthy:
1. Get the Shot
The most effective way to prevent the flu is to get your vaccine. The shot is used to prevent three or four types of flu viruses. When you get the vaccine, antibodies are formed within 2 weeks of getting the shot to prevent you from getting the virus. People who are over 6 months old should get vaccinated.
2. Wash Your Hands
One of the best and most efficient ways to prevent the flu is to wash your hands. To prevent the spread of germs, you should wash your hands for at least 20 seconds; just sing “Happy Birthday” through twice for a thorough cleaning. You should always wash your hands after using the bathroom, touching surfaces potentially sick people have touched, and especially if someone in your home or work space is sick.
3. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
If you want to stay healthy during flu season, you should continue to maintain your healthy lifestyle. Exercising boosts your immune system, fighting off viruses that could make you sick. Eating a healthy diet also fights against sickness. You also want to make sure you get enough sleep.
4. Don’t Touch Your Face
During flu season, any surface could have germs on it. You shouldn’t touch your face at all until you’ve washed your hands or used hand sanitizer. Touching your face after touching other surfaces is the main way germs are spread.
5. Avoid Sick People
If you know someone who is sick or might be getting sick, you should avoid them. Don’t touch anything they have touched, or if you do, be sure to wash your hands afterwards. Keep your distance from people and avoid touching their stuff or touching them.
6. Disinfect Your Stuff
Is someone in your home or office sick? You’ll want to spray some kind of disinfectant in the air to kill germs. Clean your work surfaces and other surfaces and objects that are shared with sanitizer wipes to kill germs.
7. Stay Home
During flu season, you should avoid going out where there are a lot of people. Where there are lots of people, the higher the risk is that you could get sick. Staying at home will hopefully prevent you from getting sick. When you aren’t around other people who could be sick, it’s a sure way to prevent the flu. If you do start to feel like you’ve gotten the flu, you should stay home and rest so you will feel better and to prevent spreading the virus.
Planning on traveling during flu season? Find out how you can stay healthy when you get on a plane!
You have many ways to prevent the flu and stay healthy. Looking for even more information? Check out these tips for flu prevention.
