It’s flu season. Except this year the flu has invited its distant cousin “swine” (H1N1) into society. So aside from getting the vaccine, here are a few tips to avoid getting and/or spreading the germs that could cause illness:
1. FREQUENT HAND-WASHING – You can never wash your hands too much.
2. “Hands-off-the-face” APPROACH – Resist all temptations to touch any part of face except when eating or bathing.
3. GARGLE – Twice daily gargling with warm salt water or Listerine can be very effective. H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
2. “Hands-off-the-face” APPROACH – Resist all temptations to touch any part of face except when eating or bathing.
3. GARGLE – Twice daily gargling with warm salt water or Listerine can be very effective. H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
4. CLEAN THE NOSE – Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population. 5. BOOST YOUR NATURAL IMMUNITY – with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption. Also, 8 or more hours of uninterrupted sleep nightly strengthens the immune system to ward off disease on its own.
6. STAY HYDRATED – Drink as many warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.
7. DO NOT COUGH OR SNEEZE OPENLY IN PUBLIC – Germs shoot rapidly from the mouth and nose, and can travel several feet. If they land on a surface or in the air zone of another person, the germs can quickly go to work to make others sick.
8. DO NOT COUGH OR SNEEZE INTO YOUR HAND OR FIST – Germs can live on the hand for many hours waiting for a new home. If you cough or sneeze into your hand or fist, you can easily pass those germs on to someone else just by touching a doorknob, keyboard, telephone, or other surface. You may also pass along germs by shaking hands.
9. PROPER COUGH/SNEEZE TECHNIQUE – We’ve all been taught it’s proper etiquette to cover your mouth with a hand when you cough or sneeze. But this is wrong and extremely unhealthy. The best option is to use a tissue. If one is unavailable, DO NOT cough or sneeze into your hand. Use the fold of your elbow, or do so inside a jacket, sweater, or shirt. If you do happen to cough or sneeze into your hand, DO NOT touch anything if at all possible. Wash your hands immediately, or use hand sanitizer.
10. RETURN TO THE FIST BUMP – Germs are easily spread by the very common western greeting of shaking hands. Many of us inadvertently touch things throughout the day, cough or sneeze into our hands, then shake the hand of a friend or associate without thinking, thereby spreading germs from one hand to another. Avoid shaking hands if at all possible. Instead, let’s all return to the fist bump — at least for this flu season.
