During flu season, keeping everyone in your family healthy becomes a priority. Although it may not be possible to avoid coming into contact with germs, it is possible to keep everyone’s immune system strong enough to ward off illnesses. Here are the top five strategies to implement in your home this season to protect your family from the flu.
Avoid Contact with Crowds
The flu virus thrives in crowds, where even the slightest sneeze can send the virus flying hundreds of feet. When flu season strikes, you should try to avoid crowded areas such as shopping centers and restaurants. Then, instruct your family to wash their hands frequently and avoid touching their face while at school or work.
Make Nutrition a Priority
Getting the recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals each day is a sure fire way to keep your immune system functioning efficiently. For staving off colds and the flu, aim to include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your family’s diet, which will ensure that everyone gets enough anti-oxidants, such as vitamin C.
Keep Up with Preventative Care
A family’s plan to stay healthy should also include keeping up with regularly scheduled checkups and vaccinations. Before flu season strikes, be sure to visit a local Winter Haven doctor that can recommend additional strategies for staying healthy based upon each family member’s personal health, such as getting a flu shot and getting more exercise.
Get Enough Rest
When a person’s body gets worn down from overexertion, the immune system is not able to function properly. Try to ensure each member of the family gets seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Additionally, try to keep stress levels down, since high levels of stress can interfere with getting enough rest during the night.
Recognize Early Flu Symptoms
Knowing how to identify the early signs of a flu infection is essential for getting the right medical treatment before it gets a chance to spread. Therefore, it is important to be on the lookout for any high fevers, chills, or respiratory infections that occur in your family members or friends. Getting treated by a doctor in the early stages of the flu can help you to avoid complications.
Protecting your family from the flu is best accomplished by implementing several different preventative measures that are designed to boost everyone’s immune system, while also reducing the amount of contact they have with others who may be carrying the virus. By staying on top of everyone’s health, it is possible to emerge from the flu season untouched by illness this year.
Written by Chaleigh G.; Guest Blogger for Mom at Last