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Grace With Bandaid, Used For Bcbsal — Keep your health in tip-top shape this fall and winter in Alabama. (The Bama Buzz)

While I’m personally dreaming of an Alabama fall and the holidays, colder months also typically mean cold and flu season.

We all know the basic steps to keeping our immune systems intact: Eat healthy, stay hydrated, get plenty of sleep and exercise. But even if we’ve “done all the right things,” we can still have a nagging cold or virus every once in a while.

So, I found a few of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama’s top tips for staying healthy this season—it’s more than just taking antibiotics, and easy to include in your daily routine.

Healthier People Are Happier People - Bluecross Blueshield Of Alabama

1. Get plenty of rest

We hear it over and over again: Get plenty of rest! Adults typically need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night.

But it’s true. Sleep and stress go hand in hand, and you’d be surprised what five hours compared to seven hours can do for your overall health.

Plus, we all know that bright ‘blue’ light from our phones and computer screens leads to fatigue—especially when our doomscrolling adds stress to the process (guilty!)

As tempting as it is to reach for your phone for a late-night scroll, it’s best to keep it on your nightstand. Or, if you’re anything like me, you need the temptation completely out of sight. Try sleeping with your phone across the room or in a different part of your house entirely.

2. Use a clean humidifier to ease breathing

Little Girl With Humidifier — Keep those humidifiers clean this season, Alabama! (“Baby And Humidifier” by aqua.mech is licensed under CC BY 2.0)

Humidifiers add moisture to the air to help relieve symptoms like dry skin, lips or throat.

While they work wonders for dry sinuses and stuffy noses, it’s important that your humidifier doesn’t become a health hazard itself.

Check out a few tips for keeping your humidifier clean, especially when you’re sick and relying on it!

Use distilled water
Clean it every 3 days
Change the filter as suggested
Keep the area around your humidifier dry

3. Consult your doctor about medications

A Man And A Woman Looking At Items In A Store — Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the best medication during cold and flu season. (Photo by Ninthgrid on Unsplash)

Most of the sicknesses going around this time of year (the common cold, flu, you name it) are caused by viruses, not bacteria.

If you’re diagnosed with a common respiratory illness and prescribed antibiotics, be sure to use those as your doctor recommends and to completion. Misusing antibiotics can lead to side effects like digestive issues, or more serious complications like antibiotic resistance or infections.

So, the best rule of thumb: Consult with your doctor. A lot of times, plenty of rest and staying hydrated can do the trick.

And if all else fails, try a warm bowl of soup or other comfort foods. Here are a few recipes for healthy and restorative foods perfect for cooler weather.

Boosting your immune system + staying healthy is crucial as we ease into colder months in Alabama. Find more tips.

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