Ways to Prevent Flu
Flu prevention may not be as easy as you may think. The COVID cases in India might have waned, but we haven’t built 100% immunity against respiratory infections, covid and common influenza. Young children up to the age of 12 are most vulnerable to catching diseases. Now that schools and play areas have started to open, you surely don’t want your bundles of joy to spend winter battling runny nose and fever chills.
Here are five simple ways to prevent flu.
- Stick to the Masks
The top tip to prevent your children from influenza is to keep following the CDC guidelines to prevent your (child’s) nose and mouth when in the community. This is because many infectious viruses, bacteria are constantly circulating in the air, and they become proactive around winters. These respiratory bugs may reach your child’s mucous membranes, nose and eyes with a heavy chance of infecting the child.
“You needn’t wear an N95 mask”, an expert says. A light surgical mask or homemade mask is equally good as long as it provides two or more layers of protection. What’s more important is to let your child build a habit of wearing a mask when heading out or around people.
- Prioritize Hand Hygiene The hands are probably the primary source of transmission of the virus. Thus, Keeping your children’s hands clean with simple soap & water or with an alcohol rub is one of the simplest and most effective ways to stop the spread of germs.
Make sure your children (and you) follow the recommended six steps while washing your hands and lather the soap and water for at least 20 seconds because studies reveal ‘washing your hands lesser than that doesn’t really get rid of the germs.’
3 Get Plenty of Sleep
You must have noticed that your child often wakes up tired and grumpy because of lack of sleep. Our bodies create an essential protein called cytokine while we sleep. When produced in enough quantity, Cytokine boosts our immune system and prevents the body from inflammation and infections. Thus, good eight to ten hours of sleep is the best immune boost you can give to your child.
4 Power Up your Child’s Diet.
You are what you eat.
Eating healthy vegetables, fruits, nuts, and proteins is advice that needs no mention. Take the sugar-filled processed food off the table and let your children choose healthy and fibrous food whenever they’re hungry.
5 Get Flu Shot
Prevention is better than cure. Getting a flu vaccine is a sure-shot way to fend off the flu during the season. The annual flu vaccine has been shown to have reduced the chances of severe infection and hospitalization in flu cases. If your child has a weaker respiratory system or is prone to allergies, an annual flu vaccine becomes necessary.
When and Where Can We Get a Flu Shot?
Viruses mutate and evolve quickly; last year’s vaccine may not protect you this year. Thus, every child and adult must get a flu shot every year during September and October or at least two weeks before the flu season tolls the bell.
Flu vaccines are available in almost every medical care. Smart Hospital is one such medical facility where our expert Paediatrician Dr. Farha Khan provides smart consultation at an affordable cost to prevent your child from catching flu and other infections.
To book your appointment with her, call now at +919870189501
Or visit Smart Hospital