How To Avoid The Flu   Frank Barnhill M.D.
 

How can you avoid the flu?
What about the common cold and viruses?
What if you don’t want to take flu vaccine or if it’s not available?
How can you stay well during cold and flu season? 

Here are your answers!

It’s that time of the year again!
Cold and flu season are upon us.

Actually, colds and the flu are probably around us all year long.
It just seems they strike in the colder or winter months, but there’s a reason. 

When it gets cold outside we:

• Tend to stay indoors more often
• Others tend to stay indoors with us
• Don’t open doors and windows to get fresh air
• More kids and adults crowd into warm areas at work, school and church
• Use heating systems that circulate the same air over and over
• Don’t stay at home when we have a little cold or cough
• Are exposed to more germs, in higher concentrations, and in smaller spaces
   

With these things in mind, let’s take a look at a few ways to prevent or lessen your exposure to both the flu and common cold germs and just maybe keep you from spreading that old virus yourself.

 If you don’t want to take flu vaccine or it’s not available, then you should consider other methods to stay well during the upcoming flu season:
 

• Wash your hands in warm soapy water before and after touching your eyes, mouth or nose. Do this consistently every single time to lessen spread of germs!
   
•   Wash your hands at least 7-8 times per day and after shaking hands or touching the face of another person. Person to person contact is the second most common way disease is spread
   
• Ask persons with a cough or sneeze to cover their nose and mouth with tissue or a handkerchief since fine mist and water droplets full of virus are coughed into the air for a distance of 2 to 10 feet. These droplets may stay suspended in the air for up to 5 minutes after a cough or sneeze, allowing you to inhale the virus. Using their hand to “catch it” will not stop spread of most droplets, and of course, you really shouldn’t shake their hand afterwards.
  Aerosol (sneezing and coughing) and spread of body fluids are the most common ways the flu is spread. So, avoid kissing, eating or drinking after others and don’t touch another person’s sputum or vomit unless you thoroughly wash your hands afterwards. Do not share glasses, eating utensils, straws, plates, toothbrushes or washcloths. Others may have the virus, but not show symptoms of infection. Certainly, you should not copy cat the television candy commercial and share false teeth.
   
• Be sure that all used handkerchiefs and washcloths go in the washing machine and tissues go into the trashcan. Once tissues are disposed, do not touch them again as viruses can live a very long time in tissue paper.
   
• Ask your daycare, school, and work place to provide spray or wipe disinfectant to use on telephones, hard toys, counter tops, doorknobs, commode flush handles and seats, and other hard surfaces (such items are called fomites) several times a day. Virus particles can survive for hours on such surfaces and if you touch them and then touch your eyes, nose or mouth, then….. well, you get the idea.
   
• If you can’t wash your hands because you’re away from water, carry antibacterial hand gel and use it often. Caution! You must leave most hand gels on your skin for minimum thirty seconds before wiping off. Otherwise, they don’t work well! If you don’t have these gels available, rubbing alcohol is an option. These chemicals are not to be used on the face, in the mouth, ears, nose or eyes.
   
• Avoid exposure to excessive cold and heat, as abrupt changes in temperature seem to render the linings of your nose, throat, and lungs more susceptible to invasion by germs. Wear clothing appropriate for the weather. Overdressing for cold can be just as damaging as undressing.
   
• Eat healthy, exercise, drink plenty of fluids and take your antioxidant vitamins. Food and water provide the fuel that your body uses to fight off infections. Exercise, Vitamin C and antioxidants are thought to improve your body’s resistance and immune system to germs in general.
   
• Get at least 7 hours sleep a night. Your body’s metabolism works best with adequate rest. Sleep and rest also helps increase your immune systems ability to fight infections.
   
• Last but not least, avoid persons who are sick if possible and if you’re that person, stay home instead of giving the infection to everyone at work, school, daycare and church. Make your workplace the ideal healthy place to work!
   
• Oops, here’s one more: consider wearing a surgical mask when you have a cough or sneeze. Some oriental cultures do so out of respect for others!

So, that’s it!

You’ve learned a lot about the common cold and viruses.
You’ve learned how to use uncommon sense approaches to avoiding contagious diseases.

Now, it’s up to you to use this great information to help keep you and your loved ones well during this upcoming flu season.

Please share this with your family, friends and those with whom you work so we can help everyone have a great healthy winter. You have my permission to reprint and distribute this educational article as long as it is copied in its entirety.

Dr. Frank

www.drhuggiebear.com
Your Internet resource for UncommonSense medical information.

Frank Barnhill, M.D.
 

drhuggiebear, drhuggiebear.com and contained materials are the copyrighted and/or registered properties of Frank Barnhill, M.D. and may not be reproduced for profit without the express written permission of the author.  All materials may be photocopied in whole for educational use.  For information please contact us at drfrank@drhuggiebear.com.