Back to School Germ Prevention Tips

Now, I don't have kids (I have cats!), but as you're shopping for your school supplies and thinking "school" a bit, I wanted to share with you a few things I was reading about today.

First, stop wasting money on those fancy liquid anti-bacterial soaps and hand sanitizers that don't always kill the germs. It's better than nothing, but a bar of plain old soap and warm water works THE best and scrub vigorously for 20 seconds. A friend of mine once told me sing a couple of verses of "Row Row Row Your Boat"  TO YOURSELF twice!  And Mom was so right: "Keep your hands away from your face and wash your hands."

There's no such thing as "the cold season."  Have you ever had a dreaded Summer cold?  Usually a kid with a cold is contagious for two to three days.  Drink lots of water to flush your system of the germs and plenty of rest is always a good thing to make your immune system stronger.  Also, as the little ones head back to the bus, watch out for strep throat, and head lice is a big one that people don't think about.

Have a healthy rest of the Summer and as we head in to Fall, keep your family as healthy as possible.  Oh yeah, and for the latest health tips, listen to the Hawk Morning Show as we do "A Better Life" with CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta in the 8am hour weekdays on the Hawk!  Great information on your way to work, sponsored by U H S.