That time of the year is upon us. The seasons start to change, the weather starts to cool off, and everyone gets excited about the pretty red and orange leaves that start to appear on trees. As the excitement of fall overwhelms us, we seem to forget a possible down-”fall.” This is also that dreadful time of year that we hate to even mention: cold and flu season.
On a college campus where you’re in close contact with just about everyone around you, it’s kind of hard to avoid any and all sick people (unless you quarantine yourself to your dorm room and lock your roommate out). So let’s be realistic! We can’t totally prevent ourselves from falling victim to an awful cough or an annoying stuffy nose, but there are some steps we can take to lower our risk of getting sick this fall.
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Get a flu shot! I’m probably more afraid of shots than I am of being attacked by a shark, but it’s seriously so worth avoiding being trapped in bed with a fever for a week.
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Get a lot of sleep. We all have tons of homework, meetings, clubs, social lives and other important things to do. Unfortunately none of us are vampires and we need sleep to keep us healthy, especially as the stress of midterms is approaching.
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Wash your hands. You’re inevitably going to come into contact with other sick people, and you don’t want to be carrying their germs around everywhere you go, let alone getting them all over your food, pens, and anything else you happen to touch.
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Eat well. It is important for our bodies to get enough vitamins and minerals to keep our immune systems healthy and strong in order to ward off sickness.
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Exercise. This list may sound like a PSA for health and fitness, but these things really do help keep your body strong and able to protect itself.
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Don’t share food or drinks. Sometimes sickness is contagious even before symptoms show up. Be careful in assuming that your best friend is healthy just because she isn’t burning up with a fever just yet.
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Most importantly, if you do start to feel any symptoms of getting sick, slow down and take care of yourself. Rest when you can, drink lots of fluids, and go to the infirmary (you don’t want to be the friend who gives everyone the flu)!
Photo Sources:
http://rheumablog.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/sick-vs-chronically-ill/
http://www.modernmom.com/article/preventive-exercise-based-on-your-blood-type
http://www.cdc.gov/features/handwashing/
http://paperbackparade.blogspot.com/2011/12/cat-cartoon.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-204_162-10010460.html