The common cold will be making a return this winter, and you’ll need to be ready for it. In this post, we run through some quick tips to help you avoid the sniffles and be at your best come the holiday season.
Don’t Fret
Stress can reduce the efficiency of your immune system. It causes your brain to release hormones that suppress immunity and prime your body for a fight. Chronic stress leaves you at a higher risk of getting a cold.
Try various relaxation techniques to make you feel calm. Ideas include aromatherapy, exercise, yoga and meditation.
Keep Your Refrigerator Stocked With Veggies
The more veggies you eat, the less likely you are to catch a cold – it’s that simple. Veggies contain compounds that bolster your body’s defenses. They may increase the ability of the mucus lining of your throat to catch germs and dispose of them safely.
Try eating more kale, cabbage and collard greens. Be sure to get beets, celery, eggplant and sweet potato too.
Use Paper Towels
During the height of the cold season, it’s a good idea to use paper towels. Regular towels can harbor viruses for many days after being touched.
Disposable paper towels get thrown in the bin before they can transmit infection. To save money, buy in bulk.
Wash Toys, Mice, Keyboards And Cookware
Cold viruses can survive on surfaces for anywhere between 8 hours and seven days. For that reason, be sure to regularly wash things you touch regularly, such as mice, keyboards, toys and cookware.
For non-electronics, regular soap and hot water will kill virtually all germs. For electronic items, alcohol-based cleaners are the best.
Use Disposable Items For Sick Family Members
If a member of your family has a cold, it can help to get them disposable plates, cups, utensils and bowls. This way, you can discard them after use, thereby minimizing the risk of infection.
If one child has a cold, don’t allow them to share food with another. If possible, get them to eat in their room and bring their food to them on a tray.
Avoid Tobacco
If you have a cold, skip smoking for a while. Smoking impedes the body’s recovery from respiratory infections because it damages the throat and lungs. Sometimes, smokers with colds have to seek urgent care because they aren’t getting better.
Second-hand smoke is an issue too. Studies show that people who merely breathe in smoke particles have suppressed immune systems and are much less able to fight infection.
Don’t Touch Your Face
Want to avoid getting the cold this winter? Then don’t touch your face. When you touch your nose, mouth or eyes, it gives bacteria an opportunity to move from your hands onto your face. Once there, they can then easily get into the body via the mucous membranes around the eyes and inside the nose and mouth.
Keep Your Fingernails Short
Lastly, you might want to trim your fingernails. Long nails can harbor germs which then later infect you.
