Don’t Sneeze at the Importance of Hand Washing for Flu Prevention

Urgent Care Blog

Flu season is at hand, so it’s important to know how to prevent the flu to keep your family healthy. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), regular hand washing is one of the best flu prevention tips you can follow. Washing your hands on a regular basis can prevent the spread of germs and bacteria, including the flu. But medical experts advise staying away from antibacterial soaps and alcohol-based hand sanitizers for their many negative effects. To help you and your family stay healthy throughout the flu season, MD Now is shedding light on the importance of hand washing without chemical-based products that can ultimately harm your health. Along with regular hand washing, let MD Now give you a helping hand in flu prevention by visiting your nearest MD Now location for the additional protection of a flu shot.

Wash Your Hands of Chemical Cleansers

Recently, the FDA has banned certain chemicals included in many antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers that have the potential to negatively affect health. Even though many people think that antibacterial soaps sound effective at killing bacteria, there is a lack of strong evidence that using these chemical-based cleansers is better for your health than washing with simple soap and water.

In fact, the opposite is true, with the CDC reporting that washing hands with regular soap and water is actually more effective at killing and removing many types kinds of bacteria and germs, including those that cause the flu. 

Take Your Health into Your Hands with These Flu Prevention Tips

When it comes to how to prevent the flu through hand washing, certain washing techniques are more effective than others. The best way to wash your hands is by following these simple steps:

  1. Wet hands with cold or warm water.
  2. Apply plain soap.
  3. Lather the backs of hands and underneath the fingernails for a full 20 seconds.
  4. Rinse thoroughly.
  5. Repeat a few times throughout the day, or even more if you’re exposed to others with the flu.
  6. Get the added flu protection of a flu shot at MD Now.
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