Instances of the common cold surge in the winter. Pubic spaces are often highly infected with the cold virus germs. Work, school and day care environments often serve as incubators that rapidly spread cold germs.
Don't Get Close to Cold Sufferers
Don't linger near someone who is sneezing or coughing from a cold. The virus is contained in droplets that enter the air with each sneeze or cough. Don't get close enough to someone infected with a cold to have the virus-infected droplets land on you.
Don't Touch Surfaces in Public Areas
Use your elbow to open a door with a push handle. Cover your hand with a paper towel or glove if you must open a door knob in a busy place such as a store. Avoid contact with surfaces that many people have touched and that may harbor the cold virus germs.
Disinfect the Home
Maintain a routine of regularly disinfecting surfaces in the home. If one member of a family has a cold, disinfect the public areas of the home that everyone touches such as faucets, a toilet handle, counters, the telephone and door handles. Keep a clean home to keep the cold virus left on surfaces from infecting everyone.
Avoid Touching the Face
Remember to avoid bringing the fingers to the facial area during cold season. The fingers may teem with the cold virus. Touching them to the face, particularly the eyes or the mouth, is a common way of catching a cold.
Keep Air Moist and Drink Water
Keeping the nasal passages well hydrated may help prevent picking up cold germs in the home. A saline wash of the nasal passages may also help to prevent cold germs from lodging there. Also, stay hydrated by drinking water regularly. This helps keep the immune system functioning at its best.
Wash Hands Regularly
Wash hands often to remove any traces of the cold virus that may linger on the hands. Wash the hands with soap and warm water for at least 15 to 20 seconds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When entering the home, make washing the hands the first activity to remove any viruses picked up while out in public. Wash hands before moving about the house and touching surfaces.
Get Enough Rest
Boost the immune system and avoid getting run down, which may make the body more vulnerable to picking up the cold virus. Get plenty of sleep during cold season.
Add Yogurt to Diet
Eating yogurt is believed to strengthen the function of the immune system. Eating yogurt with live bacteria is believed to help fight off colds, the National Institutes of Health says.
Eat Chicken Soup
Eat some chicken soup every now and then during cold season. This food is believed to have preventive and curative powers against the common cold.
Stop Smoking and Avoid Secondhand Smoke
Cigarette smoke damages the immune system. Smoking makes it harder to avoid colds and stay healthy overall.
Eat Vitamin-C Rich Foods
Eat foods rich in vitamin C, especially during winter. Foods such as mangoes, oranges, orange juice, strawberries, papayas, cashews and guavas are rich in vitamin C and may help boost the strength of the immune system.
