For most, December is arguably one of the busiest and most sociable times of the year, spending time catching up on the year gone by with loved ones and planning for fun times ahead with your frien...
For most, December is arguably one of the busiest and most sociable times of the year, spending time catching up on the year gone by with loved ones and planning for fun times ahead with your friends.
With all the activity going on, Christmas can be both mentally and physically exhausting so it’s important that you take care of yourself over the holidays.
To help residents avoid unwanted illnesses, Warwickshire County Council is sharing tips with the community to help everyone stay well this season:
Fight the flu and get vaccinated!
Flu is an unpredictable virus. It can be mild or serious which is why you should get protected from it. The vaccination changes every year to fight the latest strains of flu, so even if you had the jab last winter you need another one this year to stay flu safe.
The flu jab is available to everyone, but it is free if you are over 65, you have a long-term health condition, or you are pregnant. You can get the vaccination at your GP surgery, local pharmacies offering the service or your midwifery service if you are pregnant.
Say good riddance to germs!
Germs are spread very easily during flu season. You can limit this by using a tissue, binning it and then washing your hands. Catch it, bin it, kill it.
Say no to the norovirus
Norovirus, also called the "winter vomiting bug", is a stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhoea. It can be very unpleasant, but usually goes away in about 2 days. The illness is very contagious so if you do get it, stay off school or work. You should also avoid visiting anyone in hospital during this time.
To stop norovirus spreading, wash your hands frequently with soap and water but do remember that hand gels do not kill norovirus.
Stay well for longer with AskSARA
AskSARA is an easy-to-use website that helps you find useful information and products that make daily living easier, such as automatic pill dispensers and reminder clocks, so that you can stay independent and well for longer. To find out more, click here.
Keep warm and well
We recommend heating your home to at least 18C during the winter season including at night when you’re in bed. If your home still feels a bit chilly, keep warm with a hot water bottle or an electric blanket (but don’t use both at the same time). It’s also very important to eat and drink regularly, having at least 1 hot meal a day.
During the holidays it’s also important to think about any relatives, elderly neighbours and anyone else who might struggle at this time of year. For anyone in need of support, make sure they are safe and well, their house is warm enough and they have plenty of food and medicine to cover the Christmas period.
Look after the health and wellbeing of yourself and others this festive season for a #BestWarwickshireChristmas.