Getting sick is a regular part of life, but sometimes it can be at the most inopportune time. Sometimes it can develop into something more complex than your average head cold. Sometimes it can stop you in your tracks like a freight train.
One minute you’re sprinting through your day, plate overloaded with to-do lists, your attention being pulled in a hundred different directions, and the next minute you feel the creeping sensation of being sick. You know you don’t have time for this, and wonder how it could have happened to you. There are many ways a person can fall ill. The good news is some of it is within our control to prevent. Let us help you out: here are 5 ways to prevent getting sick.
Wash hands after public places
According to CBS News, once a virus finds itself a home on a door knob in an office, 40 – 60% of the people in that office will have picked it up in 2 to 4 hours. Viruses can survive for up to 24 hours on inanimate objects. If it only takes up to 4 hours for 60% of an entire office to pick up a virus on a single door knob, imagine the possibilities over the span of 24 hours!
Washing your hands with soap and warm water expels viruses and bacteria from your skin. Look for a hand soap labeled “antibacterial” as it will be the most effective in cleaning your hands. Wash for at least 20 seconds, ensuring the soap gets between your fingers and under your nails. Handwashing is a form of preventative care, and can stop germs from temporarily taking over your system before they even have a chance. Anytime you leave a public place, suds up!
Cover any broken skin with a Band-Aid
Your skin is your body’s largest organ, and its first-line of defense against any type of infection by bacteria and viruses. When you have broken skin, it provides and open door to the inside of your body for anything it comes in contact with. Broken skin doesn’t have to be a large gash or skinned knee. Open skin can be as small as a hangnail. Covering it with a band-aid will help to protect your health. It seems too simple to be true, but it makes a difference in protecting yourself.
Do not touch your eyes
Think of your eyes as broken skin: anything they come in contact with is highly likely to travel directly into your blood stream. Touching your eyes essentially injects whatever is on that finger into your blood stream. Your eyes have natural defenses like tears (made of salt water), but it’s not always 100% effective. If you have to touch your eyes, wash your hands first. If you can’t wash your hands, use a tissue to touch your eyes instead.
Wash before eating with your hands
Here’s the thing: just as with your eyes, your mouth and gastro-intestinal system have their own defense system. The acids in your stomach kill most bacteria and viruses you eat – the issue is with your lips and gums. Tiny tears on dry lips or a small scratch in your gums from eating something as simple as chips, are basically broken skin. Remember that open door into your body we talked about? Ensure you wash your hands before eating to prevent an easy “in” for illness.
Take your vitamins
Vitamins play an integral part to your body’s immune system. Vitamin C gives you the boost your system needs to fight off anything you think you may have been exposed to. It’s not a fool-proof approach, but any help is better than no help!
Additional vitamins to load up on are your B-complex, Niacin, Vitamin D, and Phosphorus. You can find them in powder form to mix into water or in a supplemental pill form. If you’re taking other medications, be sure to ask your doctor if it’s ok to take these supplements before you begin.
If you feel like you’re coming down with something, you can also stop by one of our clinics. We take walk-ins! At our Medical Specialty Centers – Your Everyday Health Care Clinic, we work hard to ensure you fully understand your health status and the plan for your treatment. We have locations in Gridley, and Oroville!
Our mission at Orchard Hospital is to provide our community with superior health care. We strive to ensure that your experience at Orchard Hospital is as pleasant and comfortable as possible. Our priority is to provide you with the care you need when you need it, with skill, compassion, and respect.
