Disease Prevention Checklist - www.oxfordpl.org

www.oxfordpl.org

DISEASE PREVENTION CHECKLIST

disease-prevention-checklist-4.pdf
File Size:	755 kb
File Type:	pdf

YOUR HEALTHIEST SELF. Disease Prevention Checklist. Health screenings, vaccines, and guarding yourself from germs and bugs can help keep you feeling your best. Here are tips to help you better prevent diseases: Illustrated picture of a doctor holding a vile infront of a patient in tints of beige and gray. GET SCREENED FOR DISEASES. Some screenings can reduce your risk of dying from a disease. But sometimes, experts say, a test may cause more harm than good. Before you get a test, talk with your doctor about the possible benefits and harms to help you decide what’s best for your health. To learn about screening tests, ask your doctor: o What’s my chance of dying of the condition with and without a screening? o What are the harms of the test? o How likely are false results? o What are possible harms of the test? o What’s the chance of finding a disease that woudn’t have caused a problem? o How effective are the treatment options? o What are other ways to decrease my risk? Picture of a germ, boxing with a prescription medicine bottle in tints of beige and gray. GUARD AGAINST GERMS. For nearly a century, bacteria-fighting drugs known as antibiotics have helped to control and destroy many of the harmful bacteria that can make us sick. But these drugs don’t work at all against viruses, such as those that cause colds or flu. Learn how to protect yourself against germs in the environment. To block harmful germs: o Maintain a healthy lifestyle, including proper diet and exercise. o Get all CDC recommended vaccinations. o Cover your coughs and sneezes. o Wash your hands with soap and water. o Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Stay home when you’re sick. o Take prescribed antibiotics as instructed. Picture of an upper torso of a man, with bubbles of where bacteria may reside. PROTECT YOUR BODY’S BACTERIA. Microscopic creatures--including bacteria, fungi, and viruses--can make you ill. But what you may not realize is that trillions of microbes are living in and on your body right now. Most don’t harm you at all. We tend to focus on destroying bad microbes. But taking care of good ones may be even more important. To protect good microbes: o Eat a diet high in fiber. Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. o Limit foods that can hurt your gut microbes, including sugar and fatty foods. o Know when to wash your hands, like when preparing food and before eating. o Use hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol) when you can’t use soap and water. o Avoid antibacterial soaps and other products. o Be wary of “probiotics.” Many are untested. A beige bar at the bottom of the flyer: For other wellness topics, please visit www.nih.gov/wellnesstoolkits. A black rectangle with an arrow at the end. NIH, National Institutes of Health. continued on next page.

YOUR HEALTHIEST SELF. DISEASE PREVENTION CHECKLIST. continued... An illustrated picture of a hand holding a spray bottle for bug prevention. PREVENT MOSQUITO-BORNE ILLNESSES. Most mosquito bites are relatively harmless. The itchy bumps often last for just a day or two after a mosquito has punctured your skin. But if the mosquito is carrying certain germs, like viruses or parasites, these pathogens might enter your blood during the bite and make you sick. But we can all take simple steps to avoid getting bit by those blood-sucking insects. To avoid mosquito bites: o Use insect repellents as directed on the label. o Cover up. When outside, wear long sleeves, pants, and socks. o Install or repair screens on windows and doors in your home to keep insects out. o Get rid of mosquito breeding sites. Empty standing water from flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, pet water dishes, and birdbaths on a regular basis. An illustrated picture of a leg and foot walking away from a tick on a blade of grass. BLOCK TICK BITES AND LYME DISEASE. When warm weather arrives, you might get the urge to walk barefoot through the grass. But before you stroll through your lawn or head out on a hiking trail, you’ll want to protect yourself and your loved ones from ticks that often lurk in tall grass, thick brush, and wooded areas. Many ticks carry disease, so do what you can to keep ticks from taking a bite out of you. To prevent tick bites and tick-borne diseases: o Treat clothing and gear with products containing permethrin. o Use effective insect repellents. Find one at www.epa.gov/insect-repellents. o Avoid areas where ticks hide, including high grass and leaf litter. o Change your clothes when you come inside. Wash the clothes in hot water. o Check your whole body for ticks. Remove ticks with tweezers. o Shower within two hours after coming indoors to wash away unattached ticks. An illustrated picture of a doctor giving a woman a shot. PROTECT YOURSELF AND EVERYONE ELSE FROM DISEASE. We share more than food and culture within our homes and communities. We can also spread disease. Luckily, we live in a time when vaccines can protect us from many of the most serious illnesses. Staying current on your shots helps you-- and your neighbors--avoid getting and spreading disease. To stay up-to-date, check on shots for: o Bacterial meningitis o Chickenpox o Diphtheria o Haemophilus influenzae type b o Hepatitis A and B o Cervical & other cancers caused by HPV o Influenza (flu) o Measles, Mumps, and Rubella o Pertussis whooping cough) o Pneumococcal pneumonia o Rotavirus diarrhea o Shingles o Tetanus. A beige bar at the bottom of the flyer: For other wellness topics, please visit www.nih.gov/wellnesstoolkits. A black rectangle with an arrow at the end. NIH, National Institutes of Health.

A Blue button to take you to the Contact page.

A Blue button to take you to the Calendar / Newsletter page.

A Blue button to take you to the Suggestion Box page.

Button to take you to the Oxford Alabama Public Library Facebook page.

Button to take you to the Oxford Alabama Public Library Twitter (X) page.

Button to take you to the Oxford Alabama Public Library Instagram page.

Button to allow you to send Oxford Alabama Public Library an email.

©COPYRIGHT 2025. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.