Be Alert not to Catch Colds this Cold Season

(photo from Flickr by Yummy Sushi Pajamas)

The fact that there is no real cure for common colds should alert everyone about the nuisance of colds during this cold season. The popular saying that “prevention is better than cure” should put this as the precedent steps not to catch colds.

Viruses that are responsible for your colds belong to the rhinovirus family. These viruses love the warm, moist environment of your nose and upper respiratory tract of your body from where they started to grow and infest. Cold viruses enter the body through different passages , some may travel through nasal passages, via airborne droplets that is, when the person who has colds sneezes or coughs and others maybe carried through hands and common objects such as phones, bills, cups and toys where viruses are lurked in.

Preventive Steps

1. Check your foods and daily activities – Poor diet, lack of exercise and sleep, exposure to harmful chemicals, smoke and obnoxious odor could lead to weakened immune responses. Thus makes you an easy target of colds.

Eat lots of healthy foods especially those rich in vitamins and minerals, examples, are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish containing omega 3-fatty acids, garlic, ginger and onion. The garlic and onions are natural antibiotics so it will help your body boost the immune system.

By having lots of sleep, regular exercise, proper diet, clean and sanitary environment would prevent you from catching colds or keeping those viruses at bay.

2. Wash your hands with soap and water and keep it dry - Keep off your hands from touching your face, mouth, eyes and the inside portion of your nose as viruses get into your body through these passages.

3. Use your personal stuff – if possible avoid using other person’s stuff like drinking glass, pen and phone.

4. Do some disinfecting – by rubbing alcohol on your hands and some of your belongings which you frequently touch.

5. Avoid crowds - colds viruses are easily transferred to other people, you increase your chance of falling victim to these viruses

6. Don’t practice self-medication by buying those popular over the counter drugs. Most of the times it will not help but rather may have side effects by causing drowsiness and sometimes nausea.