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<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src=&quot;/images/global/newsroom-ccb/659x519-ca-woman-blowing-nose-aa.tmb-small.jpg?Culture=es&amp;amp;sfvrsn=7217ae3e_1&quot; data-displaymode=&quot;Thumbnail&quot; alt=&quot;Woman blowing nose&quot; title=&quot;659x519-CA-Woman-Blowing-Nose-AA&quot; style=&quot;float: right; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px;&quot; /&gt;Is this going to be the year you manage to avoid that annoying cold and prevent illness? No promises, but with a few helpful tips, you&amp;rsquo;ll be better equipped to stay healthy. As a parent, illness seems to come at all the wrong times &amp;mdash; and hangs on. You don&amp;rsquo;t have time to &amp;ldquo;rest up and get better.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Once fall hits, that&amp;rsquo;s when those pesky germs traditionally attack around us. Children are exposed to germs on a daily basis at school, whether by inefficient handwashing, failing to effectively cover their noses when they sneeze and every parent&amp;rsquo;s favorite: the wiping of a runny nose with bare hands. So by proxy, colds and flu can be a family affair.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;While germ exposure may help to build up our immune systems, we all have different levels of inherent immunity. Our immunity also depends on whether we&amp;rsquo;re physically or emotionally stressed, tired and whether our immune system is compromised by other health factors as well. Even if a household member gets a cold, it doesn&amp;rsquo;t have to be inevitable that you get sick as well. Here are six tips to help prevent illness:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ol&gt;     &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Everyone: Get Some Sleep!&lt;/strong&gt;     &lt;p&gt;As hard (and lovely) as it may sound for an adult, we all need 8-10 hours of sleep a night. A well-rested body is a strong, resistant body.&lt;/p&gt;     &lt;/li&gt;     &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Get Your Flu Shot&lt;/strong&gt;     &lt;p&gt;Avoiding the flu will help you remain strong against other germs such as cold germs &amp;mdash; not to mention the flu germs themselves.&lt;/p&gt;     &lt;/li&gt;     &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Eat Right&lt;/strong&gt;     &lt;p&gt;Remember the old wives&amp;rsquo; tale to feed a cold and starve a fever? While it sounds OK if you&amp;rsquo;re on the cold end of that saying, fresh fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy daily diet help build your immune system all year long. Remember, good health supports your immune system &amp;mdash; it&amp;rsquo;s more of a marathon than a sprint.&lt;/p&gt;     &lt;/li&gt;     &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stock Up On Hand Sanitizer &amp;amp; Lots of Tissue&lt;/strong&gt;     &lt;p&gt;It&amp;rsquo;s hard to avoid a sick child; obviously they need their mom and dad. Remember to go over a few rules (good for everyone) including when sneezing, cover the mouth and nose with a tissue or sneeze into crook of the elbow and never, ever reuse that tissue. Use sanitizer after sneezing if you are not close to a sink with soap, which is always best.&lt;/p&gt;     &lt;/li&gt;     &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More Water, Please&lt;/strong&gt;     &lt;p&gt;Staying well hydrated will always be top on every &amp;ldquo;to avoid&amp;hellip;&amp;rdquo; list. Staying hydrated flushes your system as well as keeps you hydrated in case you do fall ill.&lt;/p&gt;     &lt;/li&gt;     &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Take A Sick Day!&lt;br /&gt;     &lt;/strong&gt;Seriously. Knowingly going to work or school sick accounts for the spread of illness in school and workplaces. Sometimes, it&amp;rsquo;s okay to say you can&amp;rsquo;t make it in. Remember: you are potentially harming the most vulnerable among us including pregnant women, children and the elderly by spreading your germs. So do your good act for the day &amp;mdash; it&amp;rsquo;ll benefit you and the rest of us.&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p&gt;With a few fail-safes, you can manage to avoid illness or reduce the overall impact and rebound much quicker.&lt;/p&gt;"
<https://www.dmc.org/healthy-living/corporate-content/take-care-of-your-family-without-getting-sick>