Healthy Habits Fight Frightening Flu
Brittany Milite, BP News Editor, and Erin Kwasniewski, BP Staff Writer
November 16, 2007
Kathy Pinkava R.N., Berkshire School District's nurse, has been carefully studying students' health habits for close to ten years. “Berkshire kids do a good job practicing healthy habits,” said Pinkava. “Aside from normal teen habits, they seem to do a good job of staying healthy, especially this time of year during flu season.”
Flu season is a time when everyone needs to practice healthy habits
more than ever. The flu is easily spread through person to person
contact and by bacteria. “Teens most often transmit this illness
through sharing drinks and food with each other. It can also be
spread through simple things such as talking or breathing. Germs
are everywhere,” Pinkava said.
Although the flu is easily spread, it can just as easily be
prevented. “Multivitamins are essential to staying healthy.
Everyone should take them to obtain the right amount of nutrients
one's body needs to fight off the flu.” Diet and regular exercise
will also increase immunity against the flu as well as other
illnesses.
Another essential way to stay healthy and avoid the flu is by
receiving a flu shot. The shot is a mixture of the proteins from
the three most harmful flu strains in Asia this year. The flu shot
is only good for this year because the strains of flu are
constantly changing. “The shot perks up your immune system,”
Pinkava said. “Chances are you won't get sick, but if you do it
will not be as severe.”
The most important way, however, to prevent getting the flu is by properly washing hands. This technique involves washing under warm water with soap for 20 seconds, while rubbing hands together and cleaning under and around fingernails and webbings of the fingers. John Sawyer, a seventh grader at Berkshire, said, “Washing your hands before and after each meal will keep you healthy.”
