It’s that time of year again. The air gets cooler, the days get shorter and the germs start spreading.

 
College campuses are nowhere near immune to the spreading of these nasty little creatures, so it is important that individuals take a stand to protect themselves against all of the bugs that are creeping and crawling on nearly every surface throughout campus.

 
This time of year isn’t just a host to cold and flu. There’s a whole slough of illnesses including bronchitis, strep throat, pneumonia and the list continues. It doesn’t get much worse than trying to tackle finals while battling strep, so take in this advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve your health.

 
First of all, stop touching yourself. Your hands touch everything from door knobs to desks and the second that one of those paws touches your face, you’ve gotten yourself that much closer to a sickness. This is a tough one, because many do this without even realizing it, but do your best to tackle this habit.

 
Another step to take is watching what you eat. Do what your mother always told you and take your vitamins, and when you’re done with that, drink more water. If you’re already feeling the sniffles, drink tea, preferably ginger or green tea, and if you’re not a tea drinker because of the bitter taste, sweeten it with honey, which has a whole list of benefits for your body in general.

 
If you are someone that enjoys more than one night of drinking a week, consider cutting back. Binge drinking can take its toll on your immune system and make it harder for you to bounce back if you get infected with an illness.

 
Another important step in protecting your health is getting a flu shot. There are many students out there that are weary of such vaccinations, but the benefits often outweigh the doubts. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist about this if you have any questions.

 
Finally, in this short list of actions to take to help yourself, just do everyone a favor and wash your hands. Wash your hands after going to the bathroom, before and after cooking, before you eat, after you sneeze or cough all over your hand. Just do it. It helps protect you and everyone that comes in contact with you and everything you touched in the last 24 hours.

 
There are many other things you can do to improve your immune health, but this list should be enough to get you started. Stay healthy, Wayne State.