Preventing all communicable diseases is impossible, but healthy behaviors like washing hands and supporting the immune system can reduce their spread. Vaccinations and precautions for high-risk occupations can also help.
The goal of preventing communicable diseases, ranging from the common cold to extremely dangerous diseases such as meningitis, is laudable but probably unattainable. The number of diseases contracted by humans and transmitted in one form or another to other humans is enormous, making total disease eradication impossible. You can limit the spread of communicable diseases through a variety of healthy behaviors and actions. For the average individual, following some basic guidelines can reduce the number of illnesses contracted and could help avoid contact with dangerous and life-threatening conditions.
For those who want to commit to healthy living and less disease, they should first consider supporting a healthy immune system. Maintaining a healthy weight, abstaining from smoking and excessive drinking, eating a balanced diet, getting adequate sleep (at least eight hours for adults and 10-12 hours for children), and reducing stress can actually boost your immune system. This means that when people encounter an illness, they can fight it more easily or recover faster.
Simple and sensible behaviors can also help reduce the number of communicable diseases spread or contracted. It is important to wash your hands properly after using the toilet, after being in a busy place such as a school or grocery store, and directly before meals. Thorough washing and cooking of foods is recommended, as this can prevent a number of bacterial infections. Avoiding people who have an active contagious disease and staying home from work or having children stay home from school when they are sick helps reduce the spread of the disease.
There are special circumstances where extra precautions are needed. Whenever a person travels, they should pay attention to any safe guidelines for traveling in a particular area, such as avoiding eating fresh vegetables or drinking unbottled water, and getting any shots needed to protect themselves from communicable diseases that may be present. in certain areas. Travel is not the only circumstance where special precautions are needed. STDs, including AIDS, can often be prevented with safer sex practices. Anyone who uses injectable drugs must also find ways to use clean needles to avoid contracting HIV and some forms of hepatitis.
Some people are occupationally more at risk of contracting communicable diseases, including many healthcare workers and those who work with animals or wildlife. Whenever a person is at increased risk, they should follow recommendations to minimize the potential for disease. A nurse who follows a safe needle handling protocol is less likely to come into contact with blood-borne diseases from accidental needle sticks. Safe handling of a potentially rabid animal could mean people are less likely to contract rabies.
In many cases, a number of serious diseases can be prevented almost completely by vaccination. People are familiar with vaccinations for children, but there are vaccinations for adults as well, including annual flu shots, tetanus shots, hepatitis and chicken pox shots, and shingles. Staying on a proper vaccination schedule and asking doctors for guidelines on the right vaccines for a person’s age group is key to preventing some devastating communicable diseases.
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