Everyone at your job seems to be sick...and now you're wondering how to stay healthy at work.
If you work in an office, then there are times you're surrounded by lots of sneezing and sniffling people -- and all of you sharing the same space and breathing the same air. While you may not be able to completely avoid getting sick, doing these things may help:
Get A Flu Vaccine. Getting a seasonal flu vaccine is a great way to protect yourself against the flu viruses going around each year. Head to your doctor early on in flu season (as soon as the vaccine is available) and get yourself vaccinated. It's one of the most effective ways to prevent flu. Studies have found that in healthy adults, the flu vaccine can decrease the chances of coming down with the flu by as much as 70 percent to 90 percent. But unfortunately, the flu vaccine can't completely prevent flu in everyone. Though there's still a chance you could get sick, the flu vaccine can lessen the severity and duration of your symptoms.
Wash Your Hands. Another of the most effective ways to prevent colds and the flu is simply washing your hands properly and frequently. "Wash your hands a lot, and encourage those around you to wash their hands," says Nancy Elder, MD, associate professor and director of research in the department of family and community medicine at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. This will help to get rid of cold germs you pick up from doorknobs and stair rails, and keep you from getting them into your body. One study found that college students who washed hands frequently had fewer cold and flu symptoms.
Wipe Down Germs. It's probably common sense not to shake a sick person's hands when you want to prevent a cold — but that's far from the only place that you can pick up cold germs. A recent study looked for the presence of viruses on classroom surfaces and found that the flu virus was found on as many as 50 percent of surfaces. So take some time when you clean up your office or home to wipe down germy areas — light switches, doorknobs, your phone, your computer, and your TV remote — with your favorite cleaning product. Minimizing exposure to germs can help prevent colds and the flu.
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Keep Your Hands Off Your Face. Whether you're nibbling on finger foods or you're a nail biter, your hands have a habit of finding their way into your mouth, not to mention your nose, and eyes — all areas where germs can enter the body. And if you haven't recently made it to a sink to scrub your hands, you're inoculating yourself with those cold germs. To prevent cold and flu viruses, don't touch "your eyes, nose, or mouth with your hands," says Dr. Elder. And "encourage others not to touch their eyes, nose, or mouth with their hands — this is how germs get inside you" to grow into an upper respiratory infection. That will also help prevent cold and flu viruses from spreading.
Hydrate. General good health practices keep your body strong and ready to fend off cold germs and the flu virus. And that includes drinking plenty of water. In fact, one recent study found that staying hydrated may boost a particular immune response to enable your body to better fight the viruses. Stay hydrated by drinking a lot of fluids, especially water, and by avoiding caffeinated drinks. Shoot for six to eight glasses of water per day, more if the weather is hot, says Elder.
Work It Out. Exercise not only makes you feel great and helps you stay fit, but it also boosts your immune system and can help prevent cold and flu viruses from making you sick. And warding off extra weight is important for overall health, and particularly helps to prevent flu and cold viruses from infecting you. A recent study found that overweight and obese people were more likely to fall ill or be injured, and researchers determined that higher BMI indicated an increased risk of injury and illness.
Take Probiotics. Probiotics are "good" bacteria that can help keep the body healthy and protect it from "bad" bacteria — and there's even some thought that taking probiotics may help to prevent cold and flu viruses. In fact, a recent study found that regular use of probiotics kept people healthier and reduced the incidence of upper respiratory infections (like the common cold). Consider eating foods that contain probiotics or taking probiotic supplements to prevent flu.
Make Friends With Hand Sanitizer. Realistically, you can't always get to a sink when you need to wash germs off of your hands. So keeping a bottle of hand sanitizer handy is a good idea to help disinfect hands and prevent flu and cold viruses. One study of university students found that keeping hands clean with hand sanitizer reduced the incidence of upper respiratory illnesses.
Eat Well. A healthy diet can strengthen your immune system — and help you prevent flu and cold viruses from attacking. "Fruits, vegetables, low-fat proteins, and complex carbohydrates are the keys to good nutrition that will stoke your immune system," says Elder. A recent study found that providing seniors with plenty of nutrients powered their immune systems and helped them to prevent the flu virus.
Create Some Distance. If possible, try working off of your laptop in a spare office or work space. If that's not possible, try to see if you can work from home. Additionally, be sure to take breaks from your desk and get outside. Go for a short walk or run some quick errands.
Again, avoiding catching the cold or the flu 100 percent of the time is next to impossible, but by following the above tips, you can boost your immunity and successfully evade illness a little more often.
