Tips for Preparing for Sickness

This has been a bad winter for sickness. Colds, flu, stomach bugs, and strep. You name an illness and you probably know someone who has had it. With the weather as cold as it is, there is barely enough time to recover from one illness before another sickness strikes.

You might have had a flu shot. You might be a germ freak who sprays Lysol all the time. Or you may have done nothing to ward of the winter sickness. When sickness strikes, there is little you can do except ride it out. But you can do a little prep work ahead of time.

• Keep a well-stocked medicine cabinet. Stock up on tissues.
• If you have a regular prescription, keep track of how much you have left so you can renew.
• Whether you have colds and flu or vomiting and diarrhea running (pun intended!) through your home, you will need to keep the rest of your family healthy.
• So keep a supply of Lysol sprays, hand sanitizer, antibacterial soap, and paper towels.
• Keep on top of the laundry. You don’t have to launder every last sock, but try to keep a clean set of sheets for every family member, and of course towels so that if you need to strip a bed you’ll have clean sheets.
• For young kids, consider buying waterproof mattress pads. Primarily used for bed wetting, waterproof mattress pads come in handy in cases of vomiting and diarrhea.

And before I forget...create a first aid kit:

• Tylenol and Advil for fevers, aches, and pains
• Over-the-counter allergy medications
• Bandaids, Neosporin, and Bactine for cuts and scrapes
• Pepto Bismol for tummy troubles.
• Rolaids for gassy symptoms
• Boatloads of cough and cold medicines.