Valley View Health Expert: Good Habits Help Keep Illness from Spreading

Submitted by Valley View School District:

With the arrival of the flu season, Valley View School District 365U Health Services Coordinator Cathy Rigali is reminding students, staff and parents that establishing good health habits is the best way to prevent the spread of the flu and other illnesses.

“Keeping your hands clean is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others,” said Rigali, a Registered Nurse who oversees VVSD district and individual school health operations.

In addition to vigorously washing your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub as often as possible every day, Rigali pointed out several other steps that can be taken to reduce the chances of any type of germ spreading

•Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

•Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Put used tissues into a waste basket immediately. If a tissue is not available, cough or sneeze directly into your elbow.

•Avoid close contact with people you know are sick.

•Get plenty of sleep and exercise

•Manage your stress.

•Drink plenty of fluids.

•Eat healthy food.

•If you are sick and have a fever, stay home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone without the use of medication.

Rigali emphasized because the flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses, it can be difficult to tell the difference between the two based on symptoms alone.

In general, the flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough are more common and intense. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations.

“If everyone takes simple, sensible, every day precautions, we can stop the spread of germs that make all of us sick,” Rigali said.