Preventing Colds, Viruses, and the Flu

How to Avoid Getting Sick this Fall

Sep 29, 2008

It's that time of the year again. Summer ended, so cold and flu season is just around the corner. What can you do to protect yourself from a cold or the flu this season?

Experts from WebMD and Readers Digest.com pass along some advice on how to stay healthy this fall. While the common cold is easy to get over in most cases, it can lead to more serious illnesses, such as the flu, bronchitis, or pneumonia. Reader's Digest says that "every year in the United States about 200,000 people are hospitalized and 36,000 die from the flu or its complications." The flu and common colds are caused by germs, which are not only present in the air we breathe, they also thrive on surfaces that many people come in contact with, such as doorhandles, telephones, and faucets. While you may not be able to avoid germs all of the time, there are things you can do to prevent them from infecting you.

Hand washing is crucial

Many of these tips seem like common sense, but many people do not put these into everyday practice. For example, washing your hands is the simplest and most effective way to prevent spreading germs, however, according to Nicholas Bakalar of the New York Times, only 90 percent of women and 75 percent of men wash their hands after using a public restroom. Since people often touch common surfaces before washing their hands, illness-causing germs are just waiting to spread.

Whether a person washes their hands or not, using hand sanitizer will help prevent cold and viruses. According to Reader's Digest, germs are mostly spread from hand-to-hand or by hand-to-object contact, so hand sanitizer will kill germs even if soap or a sink is unavailable. People should sneeze or cough into their sleeves after turning their heads away from others rather than doing it into their hand. Touching the face should be avoided at all times, because, according to WebMD, "cold and flu viruses enter your body through the eyes, nose, or mouth."

Stay hydrated and get fresh air

Drinking plenty of fluids will keep the body hydrated and will flush out toxins. A person should also get plenty of fresh air when it is cold outside. WebMD says that indoor heating can dry the body out and leave it suscpetible to colds. not to mention, dry and stuffy air will not help clear up your sinuses.

Use the sauna

WebMD and Reader's Digest both say that studies have shown that people who use saunas get half as many colds. One reason may be because germs cannot survive the hot air that is inhaled.

Diet and exercise are good for the immune system, too

Regular aerobic exercise and eating a balanced diet not only keep you at a healthy weight, they both also help boost the immune system. WebMD recommends eating yogurt and plant-based foods. Yogurt reduces vulnerability to colds by 25 percent and plant-based foods help boost vitamins in the body. Eating junk foods or foods that lack vitamins will not help boost your immune system, but could promote weight gain and raise the risk of other diseases, such as heart attack, diabetes, and others. People should also take the time to relax, since it melts stress, which triggers the immune system to weaken. The best way to relax is to participate in a hobby or activity that is soothing and enjoyable.

In addition to exercise and a healthy, people need to avoid bad habits, such as smoking and drinking excessively. WebMD, as well as any healthcare professional, say that both of these suppress the immune system and can cause more serious health problems. People who smoke and drink often usually have more sever colds that last longer.

The advice given by both WebMD and Reader's Digest will not guarantee that a person will not catch a cold or virus this year, but it will reduce the changes and possibly the number of colds someone will catch in the future. If you do happen to catch a cold, take plenty of medicine, drink lots of fluids, and follow WebMD's advice.

Resources

http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/tips-for-preventing-colds-and-the-flu/article16061-1.html

The copyright of the article Preventing Colds, Viruses, and the Flu in Fall Allergies is owned by Denise Musumeci. Permission to republish Preventing Colds, Viruses, and the Flu in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.