Posted by yuli | Posted in Healthy Tips | Posted on 07-11-2010
Tags: Cold, Combat, common, Health, Tips
As autumn quickly begins to feel like winter, a snuffly nose is almost inevitable for many of us. Although your healthy living can be sustained by maintaining vitamin levels, wrapping up warm and getting plenty of sleep, what exactly can we do to reduce the risk of catching a cold?
Wrap up warm this winter!
How do colds and viruses spread?
Not known by many, the most common way of catching a cold is by touching your face, nose or eyes. When coughing or sneezing up to 40000 infected droplets can attach themselves to surfaces, door handles and even light switches, surviving for up to 3 hours. The next person to come along and touch the surface takes the virus with them, unknowingly touching their face or nose, allowing the virus to enter the nasal cavity and start the process of catching a cold. Remember, you’re more likely to catch a cold from someone by simply shaking their hand!
Boost your defences!
As mentioned above, it’s important to maintain a healthy diet in order to keep your immune system running smoothly, ensuring it has everything it needs to ward off any unwelcome visitors.
Try to get a good nights sleep and maintain a regular sleeping pattern – This helps to keep your energy levels high and stress levels low.
Avoid touching your face and nose (although you may do it without even thinking) and wash your hands regularly, especially after being out of the house.
If you travel via public transport, wear gloves to help protect yourself from contaminated surfaces.
When you feel the need to sneeze or cough, do so into a tissue and dispose of it straight away.
If you find yourself tissue-less, use the crook of your arm and not your hands, preventing any further surface contamination.
Avoid wet hair and wet clothes at all costs – We don’t need to tell you why!
Why do colds run wild in winter?
A recent theory from one Professor Eccles suggests that because we have colder noses, we reduce our levels of resistance to infection. ”Every time we breathe in cold air we cool the nasal lining, and viruses multiply and breed faster when cells are cool. We wrap up our bodies to keep warm but our noses are often exposed to the bitter cold – covering your nose with a scarf could prevent colds.”
Let’s face it – I’m going to catch a cold
It’s not the best attitude to have, but you can always benefit by being prepared for the inevitable. Studies have shown that the common cold is not as contagious as you may think, when compared to the flu virus. The symptoms of a cold tend to occur around 2 days after being infected. These early symptoms including coughing, sneezing and a runny nose – A time at which you are most likely to infect others.
Keep warm, get plenty of rest and ensure that you are hydrated well. Typically colds last between 5 – 7 days so the inconvenience doesn’t last forever. Eating spicy foods is know to help that “bunged up” feeling, whilst medication can temporarily relieve minor headaches and pains. It is a viral infection, so there is no “instant cure” available at present.
“Ride the wave” and you’ll be back to healthy living in no time. Do you have any “feel better” tips for all the cold sufferers out there?
