Fall into good habits this autumn! Follow these simple health and safety tips to keep your family safe this season:
1. Take steps to prevent the flu: get your family vaccinated each year in the fall. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Teach your kids to do the same.
2. Get smart about antibiotics: antibiotics can cure bacterial infections, but not viral ones. Avoid antibiotics if you have a cold or the flu. Contact your health care physician.
3. Test and replace batteries: check or replace carbon monoxide batteries twice a year: when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall, the batteries on your carbon monoxide alarm should be changed as well. Replace smoke alarm alkaline batteries at least once a year. Test alarms every month.
4. Keep food safe: be sure to keep food at safe temperatures by following these basic food safety tips. It’s important to wash your hands before and after handling foods to avoid cross-contamination.
5. Get prepared for cold weather: exposure to cold temperatures can cause serious health problems. Infants and the elderly are particularly at risk. Know how to prevent health problems and what to do if a cold-weather emergency arises. Using space heaters and fireplaces can increase the risk of household fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.
6. Don’t drink and drive: the holidays are coming up and we tend to over indulge in cocktails with family and friends. It’s never a good idea to get behind the wheel after having a drink. Arrange for a designated driver if you plan on drinking. Alcohol-related crashes kill someone every 48 minutes.
Get more safety tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.