If you’re healthy, the flu may simply be a painful seasonal problem. If you aren’t healthy, it could mean your life. These seven steps may help you avoid the problem in the first place.
Flu Shots: Scientists start making flu vaccine before flu season even starts. That means they are making an educated guess at which strains will be problematic when that time of year rolls around. Thankfully, they are usually right. Not everyone can have a flu shot, but the more of us that do helps to protect those that can’t.
Wash your Hands: This is probably the number one best thing you can do. We touch a lot of surfaces, and the flu virus can stay alive up to 24 hours after it’s deposited on a surface.
Don’t Touch your Face: We’re all going to slip up on the hand washing bit, either by forgetting or by a situation. The flu enters the body via openings such as the eyes, nose, ears and mouth. If you touch your face, you are giving the virus an opening.
Wipe Down Carts: Normally I don’t recommend antibacterial products on a wholesale basis. They’re handy for moments when hand washing isn’t possible, but they could lead to things we don’t want to see, like bugs that are resistant. However, when it comes to shopping carts, I’m all for it. The shopping cart is a hard surface, and the virus can stay alive on it for a long time.
Clean Frequently Touched Objects: Your phone, keyboard, doorknobs and other frequently touched areas are ripe for contamination. Wiping them down on a regular basis is a good idea.
Open Public Restroom Doors with a Paper Towel: This is good for more than just the flu. Not everyone pays proper attention to personal hygiene after using the toilet. It’s gross to think about, but even grosser to touch something they touched afterwards.
Wash Fruits and Vegetables: Making a selection in the produce aisle may mean picking up and putting down your selection until you find the one you want. You aren’t the only one doing that. You could give the entire family the flu if you cook with unwashed produce.
No one wants the flu, and these tips may help you avoid it. If you have concerns due to other medical conditions, speak to your doctor. He or she can give you more concrete guidelines to work with, including whether or not you need to wear a mask in public. The best flu season would be one in which no one caught the flu.