 First of all, I'm not a doctor. I don't even play one on the internet. TV?
Ha! Not even close. The following flu-avoidance suggestions are courtesy our
county government, my kid's preschool, and my mother-in-law. But they're all
really good (and a couple of them I'd never have thought of on my own.) - 1. Wash your hands. A lot. Wash them just before you leave the house,
and again right after you get where you're going. Wash them frequently during
the day, especially before and after eating. And most importantly, wash them as
soon as you get home again. (Yes, before you hug your kids. Give them a hug after
you've washed off the flu germs you just picked up on the metro
poles or bus straps.)
- Wash your hands really well. If you have a small child, you may
find yourself singing the Happy Birthday song to yourself a couple of times
while you lather up with hot soapy water and scrub. No? OK, then try counting to
twenty, slowly. Don't forget to turn off the faucet with your paper towel
instead of your clean fingers. Remember, you (and everyone else) turned it on with dirty fingers.
- If you can't access soap and hot water, you can use an alcohol-based
cleanser. Remember to look for ones without antibacterial additives. They
contribute to the growth of antibiotic tolerant bacteria, and flu is caused by a
virus, anyway.
- Keep your hands off your face. Those germs you just picked up on the office
doorknob? Don't give 'em any help making their merry way into your respiratory
system.
- Consider wiping down the worst germ-offending spots in your house or office:
doorknobs, phones, sink handles, keyboards, remote controls. If you don't want
to use a commercial cleanser, you can easily make disinfectant by adding a
quarter to a half cup of chlorine bleach to a gallon of water. (Obviously, keep
all disinfectant supplies out of reach of kids. Lock them up in a safe
place.)
- Gargle twice a day with salt water or Listerine. "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." (Dr. Vinay Goyal, originator of several of these
suggestions)
- If gargling makes you gag, drink lots of hot tea-- wash those germs down
into your stomach, where they can't hurt you. Make it hibiscus tea, and get some
vitamin C while you're at it.
- Use a neti pot or other saline rinse to clean your nostrils. Can't master
the neti pot? Swine flu might be just the inspiration to stick with it, but if
you just can't manage, at least blow your nose hard and then wipe the inside of
your nostrils with saline on a cotton ball. Do it a couple of times a day, on
the same theory suggested above: rinse out the germs before they take hold.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes, but not with your hands. If you don't have a
handkerchief or tissue, cough into your elbow. And then wash your hands,
anyway!
- Get enough rest, and eat well. You already know your immune system is compromised when you're exhausted. This is not the time to stay up watching Law and Order reruns-- go to bed!
- And perhaps most important, keep your germs at home! I know, it's
easier said than done, but think of it this way: if your cubical-mate hadn't
coughed on your keyboard, you wouldn't be sick. If your child's daycare
friend had been kept home when he started running a fever, you wouldn't have
been up all last night with a sick child. With H1N1 going around, it's the best
time to call in sick. Your boss won't want to go against government advice to keep sick people at home. Still doubtful? Give your boss (or
daycare provider) a call, and check. (Then take a look at the MomsRising Paid Sick Days for All campaign.)
Image provided by Joe Seggiola under a Creative Commons Attribution license.
 Comments:
(3 Comments , 0 are new)
Great article, anise. As someone who is not planning on getting the vaccine for myself or my kids, your article is very helpful. Thanks!
Agreed! And it's nice to see some ideas in addition to the old 'wash those hands' line. I would never have thought of gargling or hot tea as preventive care!
flu.gov is the official government website which has guidelines for parents etc.
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Great article, anise. As someone who is not planning on getting the vaccine for myself or my kids, your article is very helpful. Thanks!
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