If you are undergoing chemotherapy this winter, your immune system is not operating at full capacity. To make sure you don’t catch every bug that comes down the pike, take extra precautions to protect yourself during the holiday hustle and bustle.
Follow all normal precautions that you should be doing anyway this time of year – avoid crowds, wash your hands carefully and frequently, do not share food, drinks or towels with anyone, if crowds can’t be avoided, wear a mask, avoid contact with children as much as possible.
Other ways to protect yourself against dust and mold is to add a green plant to every room in the house. It can cut bacteria by as much as 50% in each room because the leaves of plants filter out pollutants.
If someone would like to bring a gift and isn’t sure what to give, ask for an easy to care for indoor plants like philodendrons, spider plants, ficus, ivy, and Chinese evergreen. As a rule of thumb, allow one houseplant per 100 square feet of living area. The more vigorous the plant, the more air it can filter. They won’t filter cigarette smoke though, so don’t let anyone smoke indoors!
Do your research, though and choose a plant like spider plants if you have toddlers or pets who might eat leaves. Not all of those plants are safe to eat.
