How to Protect Yourself from Infectious Diseases
Wash your hands., Avoid touching your face, eyes, and nose., Keep all immunizations up to date., Stay home., Prepare and store food safely., Practice safe sex and do not share personal items., Travel wisely.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Wash your hands.
Proper hand hygiene is vital when it comes to preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
Pathogens (such as viruses, bacteria and fungi) are easily transferred from contaminated surfaces to your skin and from there to your eyes and mouth where they can gain access to inside your body.
Thus, washing your hands is one of the first steps to take to reduce the transfer of infectious agents.Wash your hands every time after going to the bathroom, changing a diaper, sneezing or blowing your nose and when coming into contact with bodily fluids.Wash your hands before and after working with food.
When washing your hands, use soap and warm water to wet your hands up to your wrists and scrub the skin for at least 20 seconds or more.If water and soap is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and rub it from your fingertips to your wrists in order to eliminate pathogens. -
Step 2: Avoid touching your face
People tend to touch their face several times throughout the day.
This is when the infectious agents in your hands gain access to your body.
Where an intact skin does not allow transfer of pathogens into the body, the eyes and mucous membranes in the nose and mouth do allow this.Besides maintaining a proper hand hygiene, try to avoid touching your face, even with clean hands.
Avoid direct contact between the palm of your hand and face and use a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
If a tissue is not available, cover your mouth or nose with your elbow.
After using a tissue, discard it immediately into a proper waste receptacle and wash your hands , Vaccines are a preventive measure that help prevent or lessen illness caused by infectious pathogens.
They work by stimulating an immune response against a specific pathogenic agent and, if you are ever exposed to the pathogen, your immune system can fight it more effectively.Get all adult and childhood immunizations on time and keep an accurate vaccination record at home for every family member to ensure everyone remains up to date.
Because vaccines are designed to activate your immune system to recognize specific pathogens, some vaccines may cause minor symptoms, such as fever, fatigue and muscle aches, that last a day or two.Some vaccinations require booster shots (such as tetanus and polio) at certain intervals to maintain immunity., When you are sick with infectious disease, it is important to limit exposing other people to the pathogen and spreading the illness.
Although some infectious diseases do not spread easily from person-to-person contact, others do and thus, you should stay home when you are symptomatic.If you are at public spaces, cover your mouth and nose with your elbow while coughing (and not with your hand) to avoid spreading pathogens airborne and transferring germs with your hands.
Wash your hands and clean shared surfaces often if you are sick in order to minimize transmission of germs. , Some pathogens can be transferred into your body via food (so called foodborne illnesses or pathogens).
Once food is consumed and the pathogen gains access to your body, it can multiply and cause illness.
Thus, it is vital you prepare and store all food appropriately.Prepare your food responsibly by limiting cross contamination.
Raw food should never be prepared on the same surface as ready-made food to prevent transferring pathogens.
Clean your work surfaces regularly and keep them clean and dry.
Pathogens can thrive on wet environments.
Wash your hands before and after handling food.
You should also wash your hands when you are changing ingredients (eg, from raw food to fresh food).
Food should be stored at safe temperatures (refrigerated if needed) and thrown out if you doubt their quality.
Changes in color and texture and strange odors are signs that your food has spoiled.
Hot food should be eaten when it is prepared and, if it needs to be stored, kept either hot (as in buffets) or refrigerated as soon as possible to keep pathogens from multiplying. , Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are spread when bodily secretions come into contact with your genitals, mouth, and eyes.
Practice safe sex to limit your risk of catching an STD.Always protect yourself by using a condom or dental dam during sexual activity, especially if you are not in a monogamous relationship.
Do not engage in any sexual activity when you or your partner have a cold sore or genital wart breakout.
This can lead to spreading incurable herpes.
Get tested for STDs before and after engaging in sexual activities with a new partner so that you are aware of your status. , Be aware of the risks of infection that increase when you travel.
Some infections may be more common in places you are traveling versus where you live.Talk to your doctor about important vaccinations to get when you are traveling.
This allows you to build up your immunity and be more prepared to the native pathogens present at the areas where you are travelling to.
Wash your hands frequently when you are traveling to avoid transferring germs to your body via your hands.
Protect yourself against infections that are carrier by vectors such as mosquitos by taking precautions, such as sleeping in mosquito netting, using bug spray, and wearing long-sleeved clothing. -
Step 3: and nose.
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Step 4: Keep all immunizations up to date.
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Step 5: Stay home.
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Step 6: Prepare and store food safely.
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Step 7: Practice safe sex and do not share personal items.
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Step 8: Travel wisely.
Detailed Guide
Proper hand hygiene is vital when it comes to preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
Pathogens (such as viruses, bacteria and fungi) are easily transferred from contaminated surfaces to your skin and from there to your eyes and mouth where they can gain access to inside your body.
Thus, washing your hands is one of the first steps to take to reduce the transfer of infectious agents.Wash your hands every time after going to the bathroom, changing a diaper, sneezing or blowing your nose and when coming into contact with bodily fluids.Wash your hands before and after working with food.
When washing your hands, use soap and warm water to wet your hands up to your wrists and scrub the skin for at least 20 seconds or more.If water and soap is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and rub it from your fingertips to your wrists in order to eliminate pathogens.
People tend to touch their face several times throughout the day.
This is when the infectious agents in your hands gain access to your body.
Where an intact skin does not allow transfer of pathogens into the body, the eyes and mucous membranes in the nose and mouth do allow this.Besides maintaining a proper hand hygiene, try to avoid touching your face, even with clean hands.
Avoid direct contact between the palm of your hand and face and use a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
If a tissue is not available, cover your mouth or nose with your elbow.
After using a tissue, discard it immediately into a proper waste receptacle and wash your hands , Vaccines are a preventive measure that help prevent or lessen illness caused by infectious pathogens.
They work by stimulating an immune response against a specific pathogenic agent and, if you are ever exposed to the pathogen, your immune system can fight it more effectively.Get all adult and childhood immunizations on time and keep an accurate vaccination record at home for every family member to ensure everyone remains up to date.
Because vaccines are designed to activate your immune system to recognize specific pathogens, some vaccines may cause minor symptoms, such as fever, fatigue and muscle aches, that last a day or two.Some vaccinations require booster shots (such as tetanus and polio) at certain intervals to maintain immunity., When you are sick with infectious disease, it is important to limit exposing other people to the pathogen and spreading the illness.
Although some infectious diseases do not spread easily from person-to-person contact, others do and thus, you should stay home when you are symptomatic.If you are at public spaces, cover your mouth and nose with your elbow while coughing (and not with your hand) to avoid spreading pathogens airborne and transferring germs with your hands.
Wash your hands and clean shared surfaces often if you are sick in order to minimize transmission of germs. , Some pathogens can be transferred into your body via food (so called foodborne illnesses or pathogens).
Once food is consumed and the pathogen gains access to your body, it can multiply and cause illness.
Thus, it is vital you prepare and store all food appropriately.Prepare your food responsibly by limiting cross contamination.
Raw food should never be prepared on the same surface as ready-made food to prevent transferring pathogens.
Clean your work surfaces regularly and keep them clean and dry.
Pathogens can thrive on wet environments.
Wash your hands before and after handling food.
You should also wash your hands when you are changing ingredients (eg, from raw food to fresh food).
Food should be stored at safe temperatures (refrigerated if needed) and thrown out if you doubt their quality.
Changes in color and texture and strange odors are signs that your food has spoiled.
Hot food should be eaten when it is prepared and, if it needs to be stored, kept either hot (as in buffets) or refrigerated as soon as possible to keep pathogens from multiplying. , Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are spread when bodily secretions come into contact with your genitals, mouth, and eyes.
Practice safe sex to limit your risk of catching an STD.Always protect yourself by using a condom or dental dam during sexual activity, especially if you are not in a monogamous relationship.
Do not engage in any sexual activity when you or your partner have a cold sore or genital wart breakout.
This can lead to spreading incurable herpes.
Get tested for STDs before and after engaging in sexual activities with a new partner so that you are aware of your status. , Be aware of the risks of infection that increase when you travel.
Some infections may be more common in places you are traveling versus where you live.Talk to your doctor about important vaccinations to get when you are traveling.
This allows you to build up your immunity and be more prepared to the native pathogens present at the areas where you are travelling to.
Wash your hands frequently when you are traveling to avoid transferring germs to your body via your hands.
Protect yourself against infections that are carrier by vectors such as mosquitos by taking precautions, such as sleeping in mosquito netting, using bug spray, and wearing long-sleeved clothing.
About the Author
Marie Stevens
Specializes in breaking down complex crafts topics into simple steps.
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