5 Ways to Avoid Getting Sick
February 13, 2017
If you do miss school due to sickness, make sure to e-mail teachers in advance to schedule missed assignments. Photo Credit: Sara Phillips/Achona Online
Following the chilly Christmas break, viruses begin to spread like wildfire on the Academy campus. The CDC reports that flu season usually begins in October, eventually leading to a peak in February. On account of the close-knit classroom environment, the viruses are able to travel quicker from just a single cough or sneeze. Here are five simple tips to feel better and not under the weather:
- Hand washing & Hand sanitizer
Borrowing a pencil from a friend or holding the handrail while walking up the stairs can be germ-spreading situations. Wash your hands before grabbing a snack at Sage, or pop a quick drop of hand sanitizer onto your hands to keep viruses at bay.
Purell has On-The-Go sanitizers that can attach to a backpack and come in a variety of delicious scents, such as apricot or coconut.
- Avoid people that are sick
This tip is relatively hard to follow in a classroom environment. If you know that someone near you is sick, try to pick a different seat or avoid sharing a snack with them.
Junior, Nina Alberdi, says, “I usually don’t share food during the winter months because it’s so easy to spread germs when everyone is sick.”
- Vitamin supplements
Junior, Madison Warnock, recommends drinking Airborne as an immune system supplement. Vitamin C may boost the immune system by attacking the nucleic acid of the virus.
“I drink the one that has Vitamin C and it seems to be working,” Warnock said.
Another important antioxidant is beta-carotene, found in sweet potatoes and green peppers, which has been proven to improve immune system functions.
- Sleep
It is recommended to have around 7-10 hours of sleep per night. Photo Credit: Giphy
One of the most important tips to staying healthy is sleeping as much as possible.
The lack of sleep can affect your immune system. Those who do not get quality or enough sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus, such as a common cold.
Try to avoid using your phone right before going to bed; the blue light emitted from the screen has been proven to suppress melatonin and keep you awake.
Junior, Neha Simon, says, “I go to bed every day at 10:00 p.m. It started freshman year when I rescheduled how I do my homework after school so I could have more time to workout, and now it’s natural. It just takes discipline and after a while, you don’t even think about it.”
- Flu Shot
Use Vaccine Finder to locate a drugstore near you that offers flu shots. It is important to get a new shot every year because every flu season is different and the protective antibodies can change.
Junior, Feraby Hoffman, said, “I’ve never liked shots, but I always get the flu vaccine because it’s just another protection against sickness.”