10 Simple Things You Can Do To Prevent A Cold Before It Begins
A sneeze, a sniffle, a tickling sensation in your throat. All of these signals can mean only one thing ? you?re about to get a cold! A cold is one of the most minor illnesses, but one of the most annoying ones! With flu season around the corner, here are some simple things you can do to avoid getting a cold.
Everything from your cell phone and keyboard to the elevator buttons and doorknobs are all loaded with germs. Your immune system expends a lot of energy in fighting these germs, but you can make its job a little easier by washing your hands often to reduce the number of germs it has to deal with.
Touching your eyes and nose with germ laden hands could make you more likely to fall sick. In fact, a Japanese study found that workers who said that they occasionally touched their eyes or nose were 41% more likely to get a respiratory tract infection than those who didn?t.
If your child or spouse is sick, you probably won?t be able to avoid them. But if your colleague or friend is sick, try to stay as far away from them as possible ? without being rude, obviously!
When you exercise, your stress levels drop and your brain releases endorphins, which are chemicals that boost your immunity naturally. Of all the types of exercise, yoga is especially good for your immunity. If you’re already sick though, exercising isn’t such a good idea.
Research shows that hugging and cuddling can boost your immunity considerably, making you a lot less likely to fall sick. Even a massage will work just as well!
Before, during and after an illness, fluids are your best friends!
Not getting enough sleep for even one night can do plenty of damage to your immunity. If you?re feeling sniffly and get 8 to 9 hours of rest, you might just wake up fine in the morning, but if you don?t get enough sleep, you?ll definitely wake up with a cold!
Vitamins boost your immunity, so eat plenty of fruits and veggies. Citrus fruits are a good idea, since they are loaded with Vitamin C, the main vitamin behind immunity. Lack of protein also hurts your immunity, so try to eat a little more protein for a few days to shore up your defences.
Lemon is loaded with Vitamin C, while honey and cinnamon are a powerful antibacterial and antiviral combination.
Studies show that smokers get colds much more frequently than non-smokers, since the chemicals in the smoke affect immunity. Alcohol also hurts your immunity, so avoid drinking if you?re coming down with a cold. Drinking also prevents you from getting restful sleep, and sleep is important for immunity.
