8 Tips to Avoid the Flu

The flu is one of the most common diseases out there. Although it’s not seen as particularly serious for the medical community, as it is pretty common and the fatality rate is small, it is pretty serious for anyone who has it. And since once you do get it all you can do is wait for it to go away while you ease the symptoms, you might be interested in our 8 tips to avoid getting infected with the disease in the first place. We wouldn’t like you to become paranoid about this issue, but there are some things that you should probably know that can help you live healthier.

1. Clean surfaces – Any virus, not just the flu virus, can live for a long time in surfaces such as tabletops, stair rails and door knobs. If you clean the ones in your house frequently you will kill the virus in the process, so try to keep them clean.
2. Fresh air – If the air in your house is stagnant, germs can linger around for much longer. Open a window and air out your house at least once a day – no matter how cold it is out there. You’ll be healthier for it.
3. Don’t smoke – This is good advice on its own, but smoking also reduces your lungs’ defenses against viruses, the flu included. Just another reason to quit a really bad habit.
4. Don’t sneeze into your hands – It’s considered polite not to sneeze or cough into open air, but that doesn’t mean you should block it with your hands. Use your shoulder or the back of your elbow instead (the “Dracula” way). This way you’ll avoid releasing the germs into the air and you won’t get them on door knobs or other surfaces once you touch them.
5. Wash your hands – This goes along neatly with advice number 4, and with the upcoming number 6 and 7. If your hands touched a surface that was contaminated with the flu virus, you’re at risk of getting it. If you touch your eyes or mouth the virus will have a fast way into your body, so avoid doing so until you’re sure your hands are washed.
6. Use liquid soap – Bar soap is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria. So lather up your hands with liquid soap from a soap dispenser. This will be twice as effective if you use an antibacterial soap – that way you can be sure you’re killing most of the bacteria.
7. Use paper towels – We all like to have pretty cloth towels to clean our hands to, but they are also a breeding ground for viruses. If you use disposable paper towels you’ll have a much smaller chance of catching a virus. While at home the benefits might not be so big, using a cloth towel in a public place is almost the same as not washing your hands.
8. Disposable tissues – Don’t use handkerchiefs. Disposable tissues are a much healthier way to blow your nose. But don’t re-use them after you’re done with them – dispose of them right away.