Common cold prevention
Posted by Canadian health care on December 3rd, 2009
The common cold is the most often experienced sickness. Almost everyone picks up a cold at least once a year and nobody enjoys fighting it off. The symptoms include everything that is undesirable and they can linger on for days and weeks at a time. The colder months of the year are typically considered cold and flu season mostly because the bug is easier to transmit in colder temperature however that does not mean that you can let your guard down during the warmer times of the year. Cold symptoms can take hold when you least expect them so you should take precautions at all times to decrease your risk for catching a cold and ensure you are in good health as much as possible.
Cold prevention boils down to just a few things that you can feasibly control. You need to maintain good hygiene, support your immune system, avoid sick people when possible, and use common cold remedies at home when applicable. Common remedies are not difficult to practice and they are worth it if they can decrease the frequency with which you develop and suffer through colds.
Common cold virus
The virus which causes the common cold comes in many strains where some are stringer than others. The common thread however is that they all can exist and live on surfaces and your hands for days before dying. This means that when you touch things with the virus on them you are putting yourself at risk as the virus can be spread to your hands and eventually to your body. If you wash your hands frequently you will be far less likely to introduce the virus into your system and you will catch colds less often.
In addition to personal hygiene, if you support a healthy and strong immune system your body is more able to fight off the virus before cold symptoms appear. Getting plenty of good sleep and consuming immune boosting foods such as mushrooms and garlic can help. Other common way to prevent colds include taking vitamin c regularly as a supplement and occasionally zinc.
Should you end up catching a cold however you will be far more likely to experience a shorter duration of symptoms if you continue the same practices as described above including supplementing with zinc lozenges but also with Echinacea supplements. Echinacea supplements have been shown to shorten the duration of cold symptoms noticeably and when used in conjunction with other home remedies should ensure fewer days of sickness.
There are many additional cold remedies advertised in the market place. Some may work and others may not. It is important to experiment but all home remedies should be examined carefully to determine if they are credible or not. Remember the power of the placebo is strong and if a product claims to shorten or prevent cold symptoms it may only do so because you believe it will. Play the proven odds first though. Do what we know prevents colds and try the obscure home remedies later.
Bri writes often on the topic of preventing sickness through better nutrition, home remedies, and modern medicine. The best part is that all information is free and sources are referenced to the clinical research that the info is based upon.
Tags: cold virus, common cold, common cold virus