Protecting yourself against infectious diseases in the past was arguably more straightforward than it is today. Effective antibiotics meant that most infections would disappear pretty quickly and were unlikely to recur.
However, with the rise of antibiotic resistance, that’s no longer the case. Many once harmless infections are now becoming life-threatening, a subject that isn’t discussed nearly enough.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to protect yourself against infectious diseases in an age of antibiotic resistance. Here are some of our suggestions:
Make Vaccinations A Priority
First, we suggest going to a vaccination centre and getting whatever shots you need to protect yourself. Vaccines can be highly effective and, in many cases, outright prevent you from getting diseases (like whooping cough).
Vaccines work by pre-loading your body with the antibodies it requires to fight off infection when it arrives. Often, the response is immediate and lasts for years, preventing symptoms.
Strengthen Your Immune System
You also want to focus on strengthening your immune system through whatever means possible. Providing it with the nutrients it requires and proper nutrition makes it more capable at fighting off infections you can’t vaccinate against.
You want to ensure that you also get enough sleep. Ideally, you’re looking at 8 hours a night for optimal health, but you can potentially go slightly above that if you want to be on the safe side.
Wash Your Hands Religiously
Most human infections enter the body when the hands make contact with the eyes or other parts of the face. Therefore, hand washing is often the best defense against disease. Stripping germs off the skin of the hands makes it less likely that they will enter the body in the future.
Ideally, you should wash your hands every time you go to the bathroom for around 20 seconds with soapy water. If you aren’t near a bathroom, you can carry alcohol sanitizer with you, which has a similar effect if you let it evaporate off correctly.
Avoid Using Antibiotics Unnecessarily
Another pro tip for combating infectious disease is to avoid using antibiotics unnecessarily. Excessive use can massively increase the risks of infection and lead to a situation where drugs can’t combat the disease you have.
According to the WHO, most antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary, so be prepared to have a long, hard talk with your doctor about the medications they prescribe. Make sure that they are actually providing you with some benefit beyond the placebo.
Check How You Handle Food
You also want to take a closer look at how you handle food. Many meats and dairy products can harbor unpleasant bacteria that can make you sick quickly with the wrong approach.
To be on the safe side, always separate raw and cooked foods, and use a separate chopping board for meat. Removing the latter from your preparation areas completely is usually the best choice if you want to reduce risk to a minimum.
So there you have it: some of the ways you can combat infectious diseases in a world of antibiotic resistance.
