Cold weather brings it with an image of coziness. It’s sweater weather, after all, when is everything comes in pumpkin spice, and we stroll peacefully beneath trees with autumn-colored leaves. Then we experience the first real cold snap of the season and the spell breaks. Suddenly we’re resentful at being trapped in the office with that coworker who won’t stop sniffling. And then like clockwork, the common cold hits us, too.
The common cold is one of the tenacious viral illness out there, so we’ve all had it, and we’ll likely all have it again. However, there are ways to prevent the likelihood that we’ll catch it. Here’s our game plan.
First of all, while the flu and the cold are different infections, it can’t hurt to get a flu shot. If you’ve ever had a cold that turned out to be or turned into a more serious illness, you can understand why. Being sick weakens us, which makes us more susceptible to other illnesses.
Another way to prevent illness is to keep your hands washed. Cold viruses can stay alive for hours on end, so if you touch your dirty hands to your mouth or nose, you can easily be infected.
Don’t assume, though, that hand sanitizers are the way to go. While they’ll do in a pinch, it’s much more effective to wash your hands with warm water and soap.
Getting enough sleep is also a good way to prevent colds. It helps keep your immune system at its best, which you need to fight off invaders like cold germs.
If you’re having trouble getting to sleep, you can wear yourself with exercise, which is also good for preventing sickness. Even just walking on a regular basis has been to show to prevent colds.
And if you exercise more often, you’ll probably get hungrier more often, so be sure to make good choices. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables will give your body the vitamins and minerals it needs to keep strong and healthy.
The cold is common, but it doesn’t have to be inevitable. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
