HOW TO PREVENT
URTI (Upper Respiratory Tract Infection)
Just by touching a contaminated surface in your home, skin to skin contact with your family, airbone respiratory droplets and saliva, you can be infected with this disease.
An upper respiratory tract infection is an illness caused by an acute infection, which involves the upper respiratory tract, including the nose, sinuses, pharynx, or larynx. This commonly includes nasal obstruction, sore throat, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, sinusitis, otitis media, and the common cold. Most infections are viral in nature, and in other instances, the cause is bacterial. URTI can also be fungal or helminthic in origin, but these are less common.
That's why we need to protect by preventing with
1. Water
Stay hydrated. Drinking enough liquids, it can help loosen congestion and help your mucus flow. Warm liquids can be effective, but avoid caffeinated beverages.
For our body to function properly, we need to supply about 3.7 liters for men and 2.7 liters for women as the daily average water intake.
Water is so important to maintain a healthy body. Based on healthline.com, the average percentage of body weight that is water will remain above 50 percent for most or all of your life. Your body naturally tries to maintain healthy water levels by excreting excess water in urine. If you don’t drink enough water, your body will try to conserve fluids and maintain an appropriate water level. That’s why, if you drink too little water, it will raise the risk of dehydration and possible harm to the body.
The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is :
- About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men
- About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women
2. Healthy Food
To prevent URTI you can consume foods that contain vitamins, especially vitamin C. Vitamins are very helpful in increasing and maintaining your immune system. Beside vitamins, you also need to consume foods that rich in antioxidants (fruits & vegetables)
-> Lemon has a very high vitamin C content, plus anti-bacterial content. Lemon can reduce the symptoms of URTI such as coughs and flu. Lemon can also increase your immune system.
-> Banana : Based on the results of a research study conducted by Imperial College London, it was found that children who consumed one banana in a day reduced their risk of developing URTI.
-> Avocado : Avocado contains L-Glutathione, this natural compound is one of the antioxidant compounds that have the property to eliminate free radicals and has a function to detoxify the body.
-> Apple : Contain quercetin which can provide strong protection against URTI.
The others:
-> kiwi, tomato, brocoli, guava, orange, papaya.
A well-balanced diet must contain protein, fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices, nuts, seeds and oils, probiotics. It plays a key role in protecting our body from respiratory infections.
3. Handwashing
Wash the hands properly for 20 seconds using soap and running water before a meal is undeniable.
how to wash your hands properly?
based on Kemenkes RI; 2018, there were 5 steps to wash your hands :
1. First, wet both of your hands with clean running water.
2. After that, rub the soap on the palms of the hands until lather and then rub the backs of the hands, fingers, thumbs, until all surfaces are exposed to the soap foam.
3. The next step is clean the fingertips and under the nails.
4. And then, rinse your hands with clean water while rubbing your hands until the soap residue is gone.
5. Lastly, you can dry your hands with a cloth, clean towel, or tissue paper, or wipe your hands dry.
4. Dishwashing
To prevent the spread of URTI, you can wash the dishes using gloves or a dishwasher.
"Any time you're dealing with food, or even just utensils touching a person's mouth, there's the potential for harmful bacteria and even parasites to transfer from food to food, or food to person," said Dr. Keith R. Schneider, associate professor of food science at the University of Florida's Food Science and Human Nutrition department.
Past 145 degrees Fahrenheit, water easily and quickly kills bacteria. That's good news for those who own a dishwasher, which run at temperatures ranging from 130-170 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Exercise at home
By doing some exercise in your home, you can prevent yourself from URTI.
Get 30 minutes of moderate physical activity 5 days, a week can tone the breathing muscles. Both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities are best choices. Aerobic activities like walking, running or jumping rope give your heart and lungs the kind of workout they need to function efficiently. Muscle-strengthening activities like weight-lifting or Pilates build core strength, improving your posture, and toning your breathing muscles. Breathing exercises in particular can strengthen your diaphragm and train your body to breathe more deeply and more effectively.
The relationship between exercise and upper respiratory infections follows a “type j” curve, where moderate and regular exercise would improve the ability to resist infections and reduce the number of symptomatic days of those who suffer them. This effect would be mediated by varying concentration of different cells or cell products that affect immune system, especially immunoglobulin A and natural killer cells. On the other hand, high intensity or chronic exercise would decrease the ability to resist infections, which could constitute a potential risk.
6. Quit smoking
Cigarette smoking disrupts the normal functioning of the immune system that fights infection in the respiratory tract. Smoking may cause an increase in the numbers of white blood cells (immune cells) in the blood and lung fluids, consistent with harmful effects of inflammation.
Quitting smoking improves circulation, increases oxygen levels, and lowers inflammation - all of which give your immune system a boost, so it's easier to fight off colds and other illnesses.
The number of family members who have smoking habits will determine whether or not the exposure of cigarette smoke to! toddlers that can affect the health condition of the toddler. 43 infants suffering from Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) who have family members with smoking habit without regard to the environment with toddlers around smokers, 11 toddlers (25.58%) of whom only had one family member with smoking habit and 32 toddlers (74.42 %) has more than one family member who has a smoking habit.