With the arrival of winter and the cold and flu season only a few days away,its not to late to put in place a strategy to avoid getting sick. To be fair, colds can occur throughout the year because they are caused by viruses, which can thrive and spread year around. There are over 200 viruses that can actually cause cold symptoms–sneezing, coughing, sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, mild headache, body aches and low-grade fever. These symptoms can last up to 2 weeks. And they’re the leading cause of doctor visits, which can result in missed days of work or school.
Here are some tips to help you get through winter:
- Wash you hands. Use soap and water or waterless hand sanitizers. When using waterless hand sanitizers, for best results rub your hands together until dry.
- Dodge germs. Try to avoid close contact with people who have colds or upper respiratory infections. It’s typically not hard to figure out who they are.
- Take care of you. Control the factors that make you more susceptible. Eat a well-balanced diet, drink plenty of water, regularly exercise and keep any underlying medical conditions well controlled.
- Consider supplements. Vitamins and minerals are necessary addition to your diet. However they can not prevent colds because colds are caused by exposure to viruses not deficiencies in vitamin supplements. However, they do help keep your immune system strong, at a time when it might be weakened.
- Take medicine, but … You may take over-the-counter medications to help relieve symptoms but there is no cure for the common cold. Always take medications as directed on box or seek advice from a physician.
- Rest! Especially when you’re not feeling well. A run-down body can’t fight off infections!! If you have fever over 100.4 (especially in infants), or symptoms lasting more than 10 days and not relieved by over-the-counter medicines, contact your healthcare provider.
Remember, if you live in a warm-weather climate, these tips can help you, too. Now, for the rest of us: get out there and stay warm!