Being Sick Can Cost You

[TaraCrooksUSAA]

It’s that time of year when you can walk through any public location and be bombarded with coughs, sneezes, and flu bugs. Ewww! Being sick is no fun, and it can definitely disrupt your life. Not to mention, being sick is expensive.

Aside from the obvious monetary cost associated with doctors, prescriptions, over-the-counter meds, time away from work, etc., being sick can also cost you on the personal side of the house. I know this, because I am a mama. I am the childcare provider, personal assistant, house cleaner, shopper, chef, driver, laundry operator, accountant, tutor….and Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy. Sick time to me not only means those medically associated costs, the time away from work, but it means that my home and general life do not function and are put on hold. When mama’s sick….well, you know where I am going with this.

I thought you might be interested in this short list of easy ways to stay well this season.

• Frequent hand washing with soap and water can save you money, and misery. A CDC survey found that 40 million Americans a year fall prey to illnesses spread by hands, which can harbor up to 500,000 bacteria per square centimeter.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Get enough sleep. Your immune system needs rest to keep you healthy. In one study done at Carnegie Mellon University, even if people said they felt well rested if they'd averaged fewer than 7 hours of sleep per night, they were almost 3 times as likely to get a cold as those who got 8 hours or more of sack time.
• Eat some yogurt. Check the ingredients at the grocery store and make sure “immune support” is listed as one of the yogurt’s benefits.
• Exercise - Cardio and resistance exercise does more than burn off calories, it help circulate your blood, pumping germ-fighting cells through your body and washing away toxins.

In case you are extremely unlucky and have a family member get a bug here are some easy ways to make sure the germs don’t spread:

• Keep everyone’s personal items separate. Avoid sharing computers, pens, papers, clothes, towels, sheets, blankets, food and eating utensils.
• Disinfect those personal items and any frequently touched surface.
• One person should be assigned to provide care to the family member who is ill.
• Be sure to give your laundry baskets a cleaning with your vinegar solution, then wash your towels, linens and bedding on a "hot" temperature setting to kill any lingering germs.

Take a look at this list from Healthline that shows the 11 dirtiest places in our home. The top 3 are kitchen, knobs and switches, and your makeup bag. Hmm… I better get busy cleaning.