Tips to make it through flu season

Rebekah Gould
Staff Writer

The new school year can bring around fun activities, new friends, and new germs. During the summer, students are not around a population of 2,600 students, eight hours a day, five days a week. Being confined into classrooms where hundreds of students rotate in and out every day can have a negative effect on the body.  Here are some tips on how to prevent getting sick and what to do when you are sick.


How to Prevent Getting Sick:

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. That can result in spreading and/or absorbing germs. -Using hand sanitizer after working on school computers or laptops will kill the germs left on your hands from the keyboard. Hand sanitizer kills germs, but washing your hands washes germs off of your skin. After class, be sure to wash hands with soap and warm water. The only bathrooms that have hot water at Apex High School are in C building and the main lobby.
• Dress appropriately for the weather. Cold weather is harsh on your body and weakens your immune system. Try not to come to school with wet hair or thin clothing during winter.
• Try to eat healthy foods as much as possible. Eating right keeps your immune system stronger and regulated. 
• Fruits high in vitamin C (citrus fruit) and antioxidants (blueberries, strawberries).  
• Foods rich in nutrients (Greek yogurt, sweet potatoes, peanuts, popcorn, chicken, salmon).
• Get enough sleep at night because illnesses can be caused by stress and lack of sleep, which destabilizes your body because it hasn’t had enough rest to function properly.
• Drink water throughout the day, because it helps regulate your immune system.

Unfortunately, these tips don’t always work. When you have a fever, a stomach virus, or anything that requires an antibiotic please stay at home for at least 24 hours so the virus doesn’t spread. When you are sick, the immune system becomes vulnerable and you’re more susceptible to other bacteria or viruses.  But if you do catch a cold, but aren’t sick enough to stay at home, here are some tips on what do to while you’re sick at school.

What to do if you get sick:

• Bring travel packs of tissues everywhere. Not all teachers have tissues in their rooms, so it’s good to have some handy.
• Bring cough drops to school, that way you aren’t coughing every few seconds in the middle of class.
• Bring hand sanitizer. Use it after every time you blow your nose and before and after you work on the computers.
• Wash your hands as often as you can with warm water.
• Cough into your arm, not your hands as not to spread germs. 
• Try to avoid a lot of physical contact with friends, that way you don’t get them sick.
• Do not drink coffee because it will dehydrate your body. Find other hot drinks such as green tea to soothe your throat.
• Watch what you eat. You often don’t feel hungry when you’re sick because your body is so focused on healing that it doesn’t pay attention to breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While you may not feel hungry, eat small portions of simple foods so your stomach doesn’t get upset.
• Do eat: crackers, broth based soup, dry cereal, plain rice, applesauce, oranges, etc.
• Do NOT eat: dairy products, cream based soup, any heavy meals (spaghetti, burgers and fries, casseroles), etc. These foods are harsh on your stomach and require more energy to digest. 
• Drink water constantly, especially if you’re taking a decongestant, which can cause dehydration. Water helps regulate body temperature, preventing fevers.
• Once the weekend comes, rest for at least one whole day to allow your body to heal.