TYLER (KYTX) - It's officially fall, and even though East Texans are welcoming the cooler weather, they're also entering into the so-called "sick season."
It may seem like the only thing you hear this time of year is to wash your hands, but health experts say it's worth emphasizing.
It's the number one way to prevent these illnesses, including the norovirus going around right now.
Fall illnesses are nothing new to Tylerite Rainey Freeman and her family.
"A couple years ago," she says, "one of my kids got the H1N1 virus, so the whole family had to take the medications for that, so that was scary."
Preventing that same* experience is what's on her mind every fall season.
"We're washing our hands as frequently as possible and whenever one of us starts to show symptoms, we're not drinking after one another."
That's something Brenda Elrod with the Northeast Texas Health District says, is critical in preventing the annual illnesses
"This is the season for these type things to start going on," she says.
Like the norovirus making its way around east Texas right now. Many people are calling it a stomach bug.
Elrod says, "You'll get stomach aches, you may throw up a little bit and then 24 hours you'll usually be better."
But she says it can be easily avoided.
"The way to prevent that is to be very very careful and wash your hands as often as possible, or don't touch your food directly after you shake somebody's hand."
As the temperature cools down, more people will be spending time inside, and close quarters means more germ sharing.
Elrod says, "You have a bigger opportunity for communicable diseases to be spread amongst people in close environments."
It's also important to make your home a germ free environment.
Freeman says, "We spray a lot of Lysol in our household, during this time of year when the flu season starts."
Freeman's been around the block, and says if you do see symptoms, the most important thing is to take action.
"Loading up on the Vitamin C, and going to the doctor as soon as possible, instead of waiting too late, and it goes through the whole family."
And there's a lot of talk about keeping our schools and homes, but the same goes for the work place. A good idea is to wipe down surfaces like door knobs, because that's something lots people touch daily.
This time of year also means flu season is on its way. Many places are open for flu shots. Net Health says young kids and the elderly are most at risk, but that everyone should get the shot.
