Flu season is upon us and that means we’re all at risk of at least missing a few days of work to this seasonal illness.  Perhaps the main and most effective way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated, and considering the prevalence of new strains of the flu such as H1N1 (swine flu), this really is your best course of action.  Still, for one reason or another, not everybody can or wants to get the flu vaccine.  So what are some other methods of preventing flu?

Keep your Hands Clean

This is a no-brainer.  Regular and thorough hand sanitation is an important step in preventing all kinds of contagious illness including the cold and flu.  During flu season, health experts recommend keeping a hand sanitizing solution on you at all times.  You should have a supply at your work, home, in your car, and even on your person.  Fortunately, there are many excellent hand sanitizers on the market nowadays, and you can even get a personal size that you can easily carry in your pocket or purse.  And here’s a tip for saving money: buy one personal sized sanitizer for everybody in the family but refill them from a larger, more cost effective bottle.

In addition to hand sanitizer, you should also thoroughly wash your hands several times a day.  This includes washing between fingers, under finger nails, and your palms and the back of your hands as well.  After using the washroom, scrub your hands with soap and try to avoid contact with tap and door handles.  Also, when you come in contact with other people (especially if they are showing signs of illness) or after using public transportation, wash or sanitize your hands.  This will help prevent the spread of the flu virus.

Disinfect!

Not only do you want to keep your hands clean, but you should also thoroughly disinfect areas of your home or office that are frequented by multiple people.  You can find disinfectant sprays at your local supermarket, and even disinfectant wipes that make it easy to quickly wipe keyboards, telephones, and door handles.  Especially during the cold and flu season, you should think about all the places that are touched frequently – the fridge door, kitchen counters, television remote controls, etc.  Keeping these areas disinfected means they’re germ free.

At the First Sign of Illness

Sometimes, all the preventative measures in the world won’t prevent you from getting sick.  As soon as you start to feel an itch in your throat or other early signs of flu, you need to act.  Gargle with an alcohol-based mouth rinse or a solution of warm salt water to kill germs in your throat before they take hold.  Always cough or sneeze into a tissue or the crook of your arm to prevent depositing germs on your hands where it’s easier to spread them around the house.  You could also consider wearing breathing protection, like a surgical mask, to contain your illness and keep your family from getting sick too!