It's far too early to be worrying about coughs and colds, but it's never too soon to make a plan to avoid them once the autumn and winter roll around. Many of our every day habits can put us at risk of contracting one of the numerous strains of the comon cold, or its more dangerous cousin, influenza.
Pay attention to where you can protect yourself more easily and start amking new habits, so that you are less likely to suffer to inconvenience of a virus come flu season.
Carry protection
Shaking hands, opening doors, using eftpos machines, supermarket trolleys, light switches and communal handrails are all opportunities for viruses to be contracted. Keep a small hand sanitiser in your handbag, car or pocket and use it regularly.
Stop nibbling
Biting your nails gives germs a one way ticket into your system. Not only will you protect yourself from germs entering your mouth, you'll also prevent them entering around the raw skin on your fingers. If you nail-biting is a nervous habit, try and address the cause of the anxiety – it is a very liberating thing to master! You may need to enlist the help of your pharmacist of GP, but it's worth it.
Butt out
Smoking increases the risk of infections by making structural changes in the respiratory tract and decreasing immune response. Smoking destroys cilia, the little hairlike fibers inside our noses; and this can help increase infection risks. It's also expensive, anti-social and bad for you in so many ways. Kick the habit. Again, this may take professional assistance, but will enrich your life enormously.
Eat and rest well
Our immune system works best when you are well nourished and well rested. Aim to get eight hours of good quality sleep at night and catnap if you don't. Fill up on brightly coloured fruits and vegetables and keep well hydrated with water and herbal tea, rather than overloading on caffeine and alcohol. At the first sign of a snuffle, increase your intacke of fruit and vegetables, reduce hard-to-digest foods and ask your GP or pharmacist about vitamin supplemts to minimise the duration and severity of the cold. Vitamin C and zinc can be very effective.
Clean the odd spots
As mentioned above, places like door handles, light switches, bag handles and steering wheels all harbour germs. Give them a wipe with bleach or antibacterial cleaner regularly and help break the bug cycle.
Keep your chin up
Calm, positive and happy people are sick less often and recover better. Try and keep stress to a minimum and take good care of yourself. Exercise is an excellent mood elevator and it strengthens your immune system, so make some time most days of the week to be active and out in the fresh air.
Keep away
If you know someone is not well; reschedule your meeting or visit. Coughs and colds are highly contagious and no one thanks you for sharing them!
- 10 years ago
I taken a clove of garlic blended with half a lemon and parsley every morning for the last 2 years and have not had a cold or flu since. I now go out of my way to try and get those aliments. So good not having those sick days every year. My only regret is not having known about these natural remedies years ago.