Fall is a time of changing seasons. Summer turns to autumn, baseball season gives way to football and basketball, and summer's seasonal fun yields to fall's least popular visitor, flu season. This year fears are heightened because of the latest flu, H1N1 or swine flu, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) simple preventative measures can keep you and your family from catching and spreading the virus.

The CDC and Healthline.com advocate that you be vaccinated. The vaccine should be administered in October or November so that immunity can develop before flu season hits full speed. Your doctor or pharmacist can advise you on which type of vaccine to use depending on age or other conditions.

Keeping a clean house also helps protect against the virus as it is commonly spread by touching infected surfaces such as door knobs, or from items such as dish cloths, sponges, or even the TV remote. Antibacterial wipes are inexpensive and available in most grocery stores or pharmacies will help sanitize areas and are a good item to have around during flu season. Washing hands often with soap and water and using hand sanitizers is also a good habit to practice year round, but especially during flu season.

Common sense practices such as covering sneezes and coughs, throwing away used tissues, and avoiding touching the eyes nose and mouth will also help protect when the flu bug is active.

Above all, if you're sick, stay home, and if you're at home with a sick person take preventative measures. Limit contact as much as possible, and don't share wash clothes, towels, dishes, toys, etc. It may also be necessary to change sleeping arrangements and to ‘quarantine' the sick person to one room and one bathroom if at all possible.

Healthline.com also points out that a healthy lifestyle will help during this season. Drink plenty of fluids, get ample sleep, take your vitamins, and continue other healthy practices. After all, seasons come and go, but a bout of the flu might linger on longer than a pleasant autumn.

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (1)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

...
written by NITROFORCE, January 29, 2010

If you belong to a gym, and go frequently, let it be known that this is the most infectious environment there is since evrybody is touching everything and respirating at a high rate. Even if a member is not sick or infected they may have been in contact with a family member or someone else at work and have the virus on their hands. Once they touch several machines, withing 30 minutes the whole gym is possibly contaminated. If sanitation spray bottles are available, forget about spraying the seat as it is unlikely you will catch the virus form your back side. Wipe the handles, pullpins and the adjustment knobs. Then spray your hands and wipe them too. I hate getting sick, and you should not go to the gym and contaminate someone else even if you feel OK. If you see someone that is obviosly sick, and still working out, follow them around with antibacterial spray like a "bug stalker" until they get the picture that they should not be there and finally leave.

• 
• +1
• 
•