How to Prevent a Cold

Prevent Seasonal Flu and the Common Cold with Common Sense

We all know how to prevent a cold. The prevention reports are the same every year. Wash your hands, cover your mouth and avoid close contact with the sick. Although these tactics do not completely prevent you from contracting an illness, they will greatly reduce your risk. We all read and know the facts, but often get lazy or do not put them into practice. How often do we touch our face, rub the eyes or touch our mouth without realizing it.

Whether it is the common cold, flu or H1N1 the preventative measures are similar and effective when practiced.

How to Prevent a Cold

• Avoid unclean hand contact with the mucus membrane areas (eyes, nose and mouth)
• Don't touch food without washing hands
• Regularly wash your hands
• Don't share drinks or food
• Avoid door knobs

All of these precautions are well known, yet easily slip into everyday life. The eyes, nose and mouth are covered by the mucous membranes and are an entry way for sickness into the body. How often do you rub your eyes or touch your face and noise without a second thought? Try to be conscious of your own actions or watch to see how often others do it. Another example is touching our food with unclean hands and spreading the germs onto the food and into the mouth.

We all know we are supposed to wash our hands. But do we wash them at the correct times and what do we do immediately following the action? In a bathroom we wash our hands, then turn off the water or grab the door knob putting the germs right back onto the hands. Do we do a through job of washing hands? Watch a doctor at your next visit and see how they scrub, getting between the fingers and thoroughly sudzing up the soap. In areas of large traffic and close quarters such as airports and malls, wash your hands once you get home or arrive at your destination. If you are near someone sneezing and sniffling wash your hands once you leave their presence.

Sharing food and drinks is tempting and easy to do. However instead of being paranoid or ignoring this advice, simply divide the food into separate containers. A good tip is to split the drink into two cups or divide the food onto two plates to prevent the spreading of germs. Practice these measures especially when the flu season is full blown as symptoms may not be present immediately or others may be carriers without showing outward signs.

Avoiding door knobs can be tricky. After the going to the bathroom and doing a through hand-wash, keep the paper towel in your hand to grab the door.

These tips are not revolutionary ideas, but do we consciously make calculated efforts to limit exposure. Are you unknowingly infecting yourself or family members? Be aware of your actions and reduce your risk of missing work or staying home with a sick child. Instill these practices within your kids as schools are a breeding ground for sniffles and coughs. Practice these habits and make them apart of the normal daily routine.

More Obvious Tips on how to Prevent a Cold

• Soak up sun rays or supplement vitamin D
• Exercise to boost the immune system
• Get enough quality sleep
• Eat right to give your body the fuel to fight and prevent infections

Enjoy the sun, but with all things moderation is key. Vitamin D helps the immune system function properly. A few minutes without sunscreen and direct exposure on large amounts of skin as in no turtle necks and pants, is very beneficial. However as fall and winter approach and sunlight hours decrease, supplementation of vitamin D may be needed. Modern day diets steer away from the vitamin D rich sources found in intensities, insects, organ meats and fat and skin from certain animals. More common food sources eaten are shellfish and oily fish.

Research continues to link moderate and consistent exercise with a strong immune system. During the activity immune cells circulate through body more rapidly and are more effective at killing bacteria and viruses. Hours after exercise the immune system will return to normal, however consistent exercisers tend to have a longer-lasting effect.

Knowing how to prevent the flu begins with rest. Sleep away the flu and avoid the sickness all together. This well know advice is often ignored. Before you skim this advice, reflect on your current schedule and how often you do or don't get adequate sleep. If your stage in life is not conducive to quality sleep, at least go to bed early when you begin to feel under the weather to help the body ward off the incoming attack. Think about the last time you were sick and did you feel the best or the least bad, in the morning and symptoms worsened into the afternoon and evening?

Eat right. As vitamin C and antioxidants are obvious, all around good nutrition is essential. The body needs proper resources from the nutrients found in food from the earth. Fortified TV dinners and bran cereals do not count. Fresh fruits and vegetables and unprocessed or minimally processed food allows the body to function optimally. With the first signs of the germ attack, you want your body to be armed and ready to go like a well oiled machine. Want to know more about what eating healthy really means or wanting to get into better eating habits? Schedule an appointment with Dr. Thomas to learn about his cleansing program and nutritional plan.

Take action and be aware of your unconscious movements if you want to know how to prevent the flu. Try to count how many times you touch your face in a day. Don't overact as over-washing is not any healthier but be proactive. Unless we contained ourselves in our own bubble, germs and sickness is inevitable but that does not mean we are helpless. With each preventative action the chances of getting infected significantly decreases.

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