Tis the Season
Posted on Nov 1, 2013
By St. Luke's, Duluth MN
Hands-on approach to staying healthy.
Here in Minnesota, snow flurries and flu season go hand in hand, but there
are several ways you can help protect yourself and your family from getting
sick and spreading germs to others:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water
- Get a flu shot
- Keep your distance from people who are sick
- Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
- Stay home from work or school if you're sick
- Eat healthy, stay active and get enough sleep
Ten finger defense
Throughout the day, our hands collect germs from hundreds of sources-people,
foods, doorknobs, coins-so it's easy to unknowingly infect ourselves
and others. According to Linda Van Etta, MD,
St. Luke's Infectious Disease Associates, one of the simplest, most effective ways to lower your risk of getting
sick is to wash your hands frequently, following these four steps:
- Wet hands with warm running water and apply liquid soap
- Rub hands vigorously for 10 seconds (the time it takes to sing "Happy
Birthday")
- Rinse well
- Dry hands with a warm air hand dryer, clean cloth or disposable towel
Also recommended are alcohol-based hand sanitizers with at least 70 percent
ethyl alcohol, found at most grocery stores and drugstores and easily
packed in a purse, backpack or glove compartment.
Vaccination protection
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends an annual influenza
(flu) vaccination for everyone age 6 months and older, especially preschoolers,
pregnant women, older adults and people with chronic medical conditions
such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease. In a recently published report
by the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research
and Policy, studies showed that the vaccine protected patients 59 percent
of the time, with even higher protective rates in younger people. Based
on these findings, Dr. Van Etta encourages people of all ages to continue
to get an annual flu shot.
To schedule a flu shot or nasal spray flu vaccine, call your doctor or client.
Categories:
Allergy & Immunology,Family Medicine,International Travel Health