How To Keep Your Family Safe During A Flu Season

When the days get colder, viruses spread easier through public transport and business collectives. Besides ordinary colds, they can cause more serious illnesses like ear inflammation and sinusitis (the inflammation of sinuses). They are followed by high temperature, nausea, fatigue, sore throat, etc. Sometimes, people think that they can’t avoid getting sick, so they simply give up on trying to protect themselves. However, this should not be the case. Although it’s not easy if you follow these 7 steps, you and your family will be safe.

Table of Contents

1) Get vaccinated

Health experts recommend that those who need to get a flu vaccine include: pregnant women, children under the age of 6. People over 65 years, people suffering from chronic illnesses (heart diseases, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, asthma, etc.), healthcare professionals and all the others who want to protect themselves. There are several types of vaccines and they are different each year. Viruses tend to change and mutate, so vaccines from the previous year are inefficient for this year.

2) Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough

Viruses tend to spread very fast when we cough and sneeze. Tiny droplets from the mouse and nose are enough to spread the virus to the next person. That’s why you need to cover them with a hand, or better, with a tissue. Also, it’s important to install these habits in your kids early. Don’t let them go to school when they’re ill cause they can easily spread the illness to other children.

3) Stay away from those who are sick

It may sound cruel and selfish, but it’s important to distance yourself from people who are sick in order to protect yourself and your family. You don’t have to cut the contact completely, but there are always some healthier alternatives. If your sick friend calls you to get to his/her home to play cards, suggest playing some game online instead. If you’ve had some interesting plans with them, postpone them for a few days until they get better. The health of your family members is a priority and nobody should get mad of you for wanting to protect them.

4) Wash your hands

Washing your hands during a flu season is essential. We all know how important clean hands are, but make sure to wash them even more often. Also, wash them thoroughly and make your family members do that too. That means that you need to use warm water, soap, scrubbing it for at least 30 minutes and then dry them. When you’re not at home, you can include some extra measures like hand sanitizer. Wash your hand before and after eating, after using the bathroom and after you come from work/school.

5) Keep your house warm

Keeping your house warm during the flu season is very important. Health professionals suggest that you should heat your home to at least 18 degrees. This is especially important for sensitive groups that we’ve already mentioned: pregnant women, children and those older than 65 years. There are many ways by which you can heat your house, and one of them is combustion heating. Some of the pros of this type of heating are that it’s both cheaper and better at warming up large spaces. Don’t forget to check if your doors and windows close properly because it can reduce a great amount of heat loss.

6) Clean your home

Viruses like to stay in places you touch every day – chares, tables, toilet seats, door handles, sponges, etc. Make sure to clean them regularly and even more often than usual. If someone in your house is sick, don’t use the utensils they’ve already used. While washing them, keep them, Disinfect each room in your house, remove all the dust and dirt, vacuum all the carpets, clean all the windows. Viruses and germs have much lesser chance to survive in this kind of environment.

7) Live healthier

The best way to fight illness is to prevent it, The best way to prevent it is by adopting healthy habits. Those habits should become your lifestyle. You should live by them all the time and not only during the flu season. Eat healthier (include a lot of fruit and vegetables), sleep at least 7-8 hours, drink a lot of water and exercise 3-5 times a week. Pass on these habits in your children, as well. Take time to relax and hang out with your family and friends, because stress is one of the main causes of many illnesses.

Although flus are usually not that dangerous, we should be careful. Sometimes, serious illnesses can lurk behind small symptoms like runny nose, sore throat or cough. That’s why you need to take them more seriously. On the other hand, even ordinary flu can be a great nuisance. It can hinder your normal, everyday activities and make you unable to leave the bed for several days. It’s important to remember that even small changes in your lifestyle can make a big difference. Simply follow these 7 steps and you’ll no longer have to wait for the colder season in fear.