Top 3 Ways to Prevent Getting Sick

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With winter just around the corner, the last thing you need to be worrying about is getting sick with a cold or the flu! There are three easy steps that you can take to prevent catching either of these illnesses.

1. Focus on Your Hands!

Every day your hands come into contact with hundreds of bacteria-ridden surfaces: hand rails, keyboards, door knobs, you name it! Ensuring that you take time to properly disinfect your hands (with thorough hand washing and/or alcohol-based hand sanitizer) can significantly lower your risk of contracting and spreading illnesses. In addition to disinfecting your hands, limiting the amount of times you touch your eyes, face, nose, and mouth can also prevent bacteria and viruses from entering your body.

2. Get Your Shots
Even though you probably wouldn’t describe a trip to your doctor’s office as a fun weekday activity, it might just be your best defense against the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone over the age of 6 months get the flu vaccine (and if you’re reading this, you’re probably over the age of 6 months!). Not only does the flu vaccine help protect you from getting the flu, but you’re also helping to protect more vulnerable populations, like babies and the elderly, who may not be candidates for the vaccine, or have a compromised immune system.

CSULB Student Health Services offers the flu vaccine during fall semester every year.
For more information, please contact Student Health Services at (562) 985-4771

3. An Apple a Day…
Focusing on healthy lifestyle choices can boost your immunity, thus helping you fight off bacteria and viruses. Both CSULB Student Health Services and Health Resource Center offer a variety of lifestyle, nutrition, and health counseling. If you’re interested in quitting smoking, tobacco cessation counseling and resources are offered. If you’re looking to change your eating habits, you can meet with a peer nutrition counselor. Take time to improve your mental health with Yoga for Mood, or our Koru Mindfulness series. By improving your overall health, your body’s immunity will naturally improve, so that you can focus on studying instead of sneezing and coughing!


 By Annika Horvath





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