Are you worried about colds and flus?
It is mid October and the weather has been getting colder. Normally when we think of the word “cold”, we naturally connect it to the word “flu”. So very often when people come up against the word “flu”, they start to feel anxious. Some may ask, “Will I end up getting sick this winter?” While you can’t avoid all risk factors, below are some tips to strengthen your immune system and lower the risk of getting the flu.
Do the Sleeve Sneeze!
Germs and viruses stick to your bare hands, so muffling coughs and sneezes with your bare hands passes along your germs to other individuals. So when you feel a sneeze or cough is about to approach, use a tissue, and then throw it away immediately. Or if you don’t have a tissue, you could simply cough/sneeze into your sleeve. By doing that, you are lessening the spread of germs.
Wash Your Hands!
Most cold and flu viruses are dispersed by direct contact. Someone who has the flu sneezes into their hands, and then touches the door handle, the elevator button, subway pole, the public telephone, etc. Germs can live for hours and in some cases for weeks on these objects, only to be picked up by the next person who touches them. So wash your hands thoroughly. If no sink is available, rub an alcohol-based hand sanitizer into your hands.
Exercise Regularly!
Exercise enhances your heart to work efficiently and makes it pump larger quantities of blood; makes you breathe faster to help transfer oxygen from your lungs to your blood; and makes you sweat once your body heats up. These exercises help increase the body's natural virus-killing cells that can be very beneficial to fight the flu virus.
Get Enough Sleep! Studies have shown that sleep is necessary for survival. You also need good sleep so that you can function well–both mentally and physically. Good sleep can enable you to work productively, make sound judgments, avoid harm, recover from illness. The body also strengthens our immune system at this time.
Eat Well & Drink Plenty of Fluids!
Have you ever heard the old saying, “If you eat well, you’ll feel well”? Well this isn’t to say you’ll never get sick, but a healthy lifestyle goes a long way to helping you ward off colds and flus.
Helpful Resources:
- Toronto Public Health www.toronto.ca/health
H1N1 flu information in various languages http://www.toronto.ca/health/cdc/h1n1/multilingual_resources.htm
- Public Health Agency of Canada www.fightflu.ca
- Service Ontario www.health.gov.on.ca/en/ccom/flu/default.aspx
Prepared by Omar Mojadidi, 3rd Year Nursing Student – Ryerson University
2 thoughts on “Are you worried about colds and flus?”
RE: handwashing, do not overdo it with an antibacteial handwash. They can be too harsh and cause skin irritation.
This article is very informative and helpful. I also agree with what Bill said. If I may add, taking vitamins can also be helpful in boosting our immune system; it can keep us away from other kinds of sickness as well.