With colder weather rolling in, and with the school year continuing on, is there any surprise that more and more students are falling ill? Most of us have at one point or another been a victim to the winter sniffles or a stubborn chest cold that just does not want to leave. So, what can we do to help lessen or even prevent the chance of getting sick? There’s actually plenty of ways to help prevent illness, and here are just a few of them.

1), Washing your hands, or carrying hand sanitizer. While it is true that having cold hands in the winter feels pretty nasty, the long term affects are most certainly worth it. If someone you know is sick, or if you’re around a lot of people for long periods of time (work, school, etc.), it’s best to wash your hands often, especially before handling food or touching your eyes, mouth and/or nose. If you aren’t near a sink, hand sanitizer is also a good option. Another thing you can do is avoid shared food such as a buffet, or crowded areas. Better safe than sorry.

2) Make sure you eat and sleep properly. Truth be told, high amounts of stress or exhaustion increases your chances of getting sick, as your immune system weakens. Make sure you get enough sleep at night, and are eating a well balanced diet. Vegetables, blueberries, and seafood with omega 3 can help to improve your immune system.

3) Make sure you are up to date on vaccinations. The most important thing you can do to avoid the cold and flu this season is to get a flu shot. A needle may seem scary, but so does getting the stomach flu and puking all over the place. There are little to no chances of getting sick from getting vaccinated, and it will help your overall health.

For more information, check out these websites

Redfearn, Suz. “Stay Healthy: 6 Tips for Avoiding Cold and Flu.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/avoid-cold-flu#1.

Burgess, Lana. “15 Foods to Boost the Immune System.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322412.php.