As seasons begin to change and creep in, so does the flu. Over a million people become sick with the flu each year. Therefore, boosting your immune system should be a vital part of your healthcare routine this season to help fight against viruses and germs.
And here to help you fight the sniffles and boost your families immune system, we have provided tips for you.
Keeping clean
Avoid touching your face with your hands to help prevent sicknesses and germs from travelling from your hands to your face. Bacteria and viruses transfer from fingertips onto the skin. A virus can live up to three hours on any surface. It’s important to wash your hands often and disinfect them from any germs you may have picked up from surfaces you have touched, or from a sickly person that spoke to you or coughed and sneezed around you.
Tip: Always clean surfaces around the house with a cream or liquid cleaner to help minimize the spread of germs.
Exercising
Exercising helps your white blood cells (body cells that fight off attacking viruses) work faster and better. The fitter you are, the better your lung function. Regular exercise helps pump oxygen to the brain and boosts your body function to protect your immune system. Keep warm at all times when exercising as this will improve your muscle function and protect you from getting sick.
Tip: Don’t strain your heart and lungs by exercising while you are sick. This will slow down your immune system.
Beverages
Keep hydrated in winter by drinking plenty of water, tea and soups. You may not sweat as much in winter as you do in summer, but water is still being lost through water vapour, which is produced every time you breath. When your body is dehydrated in winter, it becomes more vulnerable to getting sick. Your body also uses liquids to lose weight by breaking down the fats you have consumed.
Tip: Alcohol intake should be reduced or stopped as it weakens your immune system and dehydrates the body.
Bedtime
Sleep is vital to your body as this is when most organs rest and recover from the day’s work. Lack of sleep makes your body vulnerable to flu and cold. Your body needs enough sleep at night so your immune system can make antibodies (proteins that bind themselves to viruses and destroy or flush them out the body) to keep the body healthy and fight infectious diseases.
Tip: An adult needs six to eight hours of sleep per day. If you sleep for over 10 hours your body will be tired when you wake up.
Also see: Food to boost your immune system
