It’s that time of the year again! People are coughing, sneezing, complaining of fatigue, headaches, body pain, and fever. Doctors’ clinics are bustling 24/7. Pharmacies are running out of stock. Infection is in the air. Everywhere!
While these minor seasonal infections are not something to be worried about, and often get cured with regular medications, they can be troublesome and bring your everyday life to a halt. You can protect yourself from seasonal flu by taking a few necessary precautions and incorporating a few lifestyle changes. Here’s what you can do to keep infections at bay when everyone around in falling sick.
1. Wash your hands
Washing your hands before you eat is probably the simplest thing you could do to prevent yourself from infectious diseases. During our daily chores, we come in contact with several objects, many of which can harbour millions of harmful germs. If our hands are not washed before we eat, the germs in our hands can get transferred to our mouth, from where they travel to our body and cause infections. Inculcating a habit of washing hands regularly can save you from several infections and allergies. If you’re always on the go and find it difficult to wash hands, carry a hand sanitizer with you, it works equally well.
2. Avoid sharing personal items
Avoid sharing personal items like towels, razors, handkerchiefs, nail clips et cetera with others, as these items get easily contaminated, and can be a breeding ground for infections and germs. Apart from making sure that you don’t share your personal belongings with anyone, you should also ensure that your personal belongings are cleaned and sanitized regularly!
3. Have home cooked food
When infections are on the peak, one must avoid eating outside, especially at street side stalls, where hygiene is usually not maintained. It’s best to prepare meals at home by following safe cooking practices. Wash fruits and vegetables before consuming them. To avoid food from getting spoiled, refrigerate foods within two hours of preparation. Also, avoid having uncooked meat, as it can often be full of disease-carrying pathogens like salmonella and campylobacter jejuni.
4. Avoid visiting crowded places
Flu viruses can enter a person's body through their nose and throat. To protect yourself from these viruses, avoid going to crowded places like malls, museums, pubs et cetera, as you can contract infection from infected people around you.
5. Drink lots of water
With the rising temperatures, it’s very important you keep yourself hydrated. Drink at least 2-3 litres of water every day. It helps flush out those flu causing viruses from your body. Since the chances of waterborne diseases go up during summers, you should avoid drinking tap water. Make sure that the water you drink is boiled properly and stored in clean water bottles.
6. Don’t forget to exercise
Regular exercise improves circulation of blood and oxygen in the body, which is important for the proper functioning of your immune system. Moreover, sweating out can help you flush out toxins from your body, which if retained in body, can lead to infections and diseases.
7. Get enough sleep
We all know that our body recovers while we sleep. Not getting adequate sleep makes your immune system weaker and makes you more prone to contracting infections and hence falling sick. Take 7-8 hours of sleep every day to remain in best of your health.
Following these simple tips will not only save you from being a victim of seasonal flu, but will also save you a lot of leaves, which you can use for an exotic vacay.
(The writer is founder, Healthhunt. Views expressed are personal)