Flu season can be bothersome and annoying, leaving you wishing there was a way to avoid coming down with the flu. The good news is that there are some measures you can take to keep yourself as safe as possible from the flu. Read on to see some of these helpful measures and arm yourself this flu season, bolstering your chances of emerging unscathed at the end of it all.
1. Wash Your Hands Frequently
Frequent hand washing is even more effective than using sanitizer to keep your hands clean. This makes it important for you to wash your hands on a regular basis, especially when you get in from outdoors, use the washroom, or sit down to eat. This is because all these surfaces have the potential to hold germs and keep them alive for a long time. To make sure that you’re not putting yourself at a high risk of coming down with the flu, you should also avoid touching your face frequently. This will lower the chances of getting germs in your eyes, nose, and mouth, where they could infect you a lot more easily. This is proven by the fact that around 80% of germs that cause illness are spread by your hands. Making this a habit will therefore prove beneficial to you, not just in this season, but all year round.
2. Maintain Good Health
It’s also important to make sure that you’re in otherwise good health by doing things such as exercising, eating healthy meals, and getting enough sleep. These habits will prove beneficial to you because they’ll not only keep you safe from catching the flu, but they will also help you lower your chances of needing to go to the hospital for other health issues. As many as 98,000 Americans die yearly from medical errors that could have been prevented. These errors are made by medical professionals in hospitals, including doctors. This is enough reason to motivate you to avoid having to go to the hospital frequently.
3. Sanitize Surfaces
You need to keep sensitive places in your home clean and sanitized. This should help you avoid having illness-causing germs and organisms around your space. Rather than using antibacterial wipes, which just spread germs around, it’s better to spray the surface you want to clean with an antibacterial spray or vinegar solution. Wipe this off with disposable wipes and throw them away. Surfaces that you should keep sanitized include your kitchen counter, doorknobs, and surfaces in the bathrooms. These are the most likely places you’ll find germs, so you should keep them as clean as possible.
4. Keep Your Environment Aerated
A well-aerated environment is less likely to harbor germs. This is evidenced by the fact that flu outbreaks have the highest occurrence rates in people who spend a lot of their time in closed spaces. You’ll also keep your home safe from the effects of chemical leaks and more from substances that exist in your home. You should be aware that the EPA has a list of 140 chemicals that require their owners to submit a risk management plan to federal regulators when they’re stored in large enough amounts. While this may not be necessary for most home chemicals, it’s good to know the risks associated with mixing different chemicals, especially accidentally. Aerating your spaces will ensure that there’s enough airflow to keep your space free of germs.
Use these tips to lower your chances of catching the flu. If you can maintain these habits consistently, you may escape the flu for a reasonable number of flu seasons. You’ll be left with just four seasons to enjoy, which is the way it should be!
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