Do You Know How to Prevent Disease?
By: Savannah French
Prevention of Spreading Diseases
There are many different ways to prevent diseases from spreading. Listed below are just a few things you can do:
- Wash your hands often.
- Get vaccinated.
- Use antibiotics sensibly.
- Stay at home if you have signs and symptoms of an infection.
- Be smart about food preparation.
- Disinfect the 'hot zones' in your residence
Washing Your Hands Often
Washing your hands is one of the most simplest ways to prevent diseases from spreading. Listed below will be the times that are right for you to wash your hands:
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- Before eating food
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After using the toilet
- After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
- After touching garbage
Getting Vaccinated
Vaccines help develop immunity by imitating an infection, but this "imitation" infection does not cause illness. It does, however, cause the immune system to develop the same response as it does to a real infection so the body can recognize and fight the vaccine-preventable disease in the future. Sometimes, after getting a vaccine, the imitation infection can cause minor symptoms, such as fever. Such minor symptoms are normal and should be expected as the body builds immunity.