Colds and Flu – Prevent Them or Minimise Their Effects

Some simple, but very effective ways in which you can save your body from infection:

 (1)  Cleanliness

Often it’s the simple things which turn out to be the best. One of the best defences against cold and flu bugs is simply washing your hands really well. I don’t mean a quick rinse that busy people often resort to. No. A good 20 second scrub is what you need. Just count slowly to 20 while you soap and then rinse thoroughly with warm water.

During a normal day you’ll be touching many surfaces where germs can lurk and it’s not always possible to keep washing your hands. In these circumstances the best thing to do is to have a small bottle of hand sanitizer and use it when you can. At least keep your hands away from your face. Don’t give the germs you may pick up a chance to get to your mouth, nose or eyes.

The other source of germs as you travel around is those that are air borne. If someone closer than about 6 feet (imagine a tall person lying down between you) is sneezing or coughing, turn your head the other way, count slowly to 10 and then the air should be clear again. If you’re sitting or standing somewhere such as on a train, try to move somewhere else as soon as possible.

(2)  Make use of Friendly Bacteria

Most of the time you’ll be advised to keep bacteria out of your body.

Sometimes, however, you should make good use of bacteria that can work in your favour.

Probiotics are one example of good bacteria. The World Health Organization defines probiotics as “Live micro-organisms, which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”

They may strengthen your immune system by making less room for germs in the body. A study in Germany discovered that taking probiotics daily for three months shortened the length that people suffered from a common cold by almost two days. It was also found that symptoms such as headaches, coughing, and sneezing were a lot less severe in people taking the probiotics.

You’ll find probiotics in the following foods;

      yogurts (with live, active cultures)

sauerkraut

kimchi (a spicy fermented cabbage common in the Korean diet).

Dark chocolate (a good, high-quality chocolate)

Pickles

Some soft cheeses (such as Gouda) contain Lactobacilli bacteria

Sourdough bread may also contain Lactobacilli

Fruits such as bananas and tomatoes

Vegetables like artichokes, green beans, leeks

Whole-grain

Honey

However, most of the time you can’t get enough probiotics through eating foods alone, and you’ll need to take a supplement. Make sure you chose a supplement with 3 billion to 5 billion colony-forming units (CFU).
Discover some good deals on probiotic supplements

(3)  Activity

Doing at least some exercise most days of the week can keep you from getting sick. You see, exercise stimulates the immune cells that target cold infections.  In a study carried out by researchers at the University of South Carolina, the annual sickness patterns of people taking moderate exercise were compared to those of people who were not as active. Analysis of their results showed that, on average, people who did half an hour’s worth of aerobic activity* on most days of the week only had one cold a year. Whereas, on average, the less active people had more than four colds a year.

*Discover activities other than walking, swimming or running that can count as aerobic activities at ‘Aerobic Activities ’.

Be careful not to go overboard on your activity, though. Too much exercise could actually make the chances of catching a cold much higher! This is possibly because too much exercise puts a great deal of pressure on the body’s systems. This in turn causes a weakness in the body’s immune system, opening the door for viruses to enter.

So no Marathon Training, ok? 

(4)  Getting sufficient sleep

Unfortunately, even minor sleep deprivation can suppress the body’s immune function.

A study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (USA) in 2009, of people’s sleep patterns in the weeks before being exposed to a cold virus reported the following.

People sleeping for less than 7 hours a night compared to people sleeping for more than 8 hours a night were three times more likely to develop a respiratory illness.

(5)  Humidity and Temperature

Another simple remedy is to keep the humidity and temperature high in the place where you live. If you can get hold of a humidifier, (some places hire them out at fairly reasonable rates, or you may be able to pick up a second-hand one at a good price*) use it to keep your place’s humidity at about 50%. At the same time keep the room temperature at around 69F/21C.
* You may be able to get a bargain at Humidifiers.

You see at lower humidity and temperature levels the flu virus is able to spread quickly, so keep air at home warm and moist. 
 (6)  Keep your body and especially you nose moist when travelling
When travelling, it’s a good idea to drink lots of water, because water helps in the struggle against disease.
You may have to travel in a very dry environment (such as an aeroplane) and if you can hydrate your nasal passages, the hair-like structures inside your nose are better able to keep bacteria and germs from entering your body. So always take a saline nasal spray with you so that you can moisten the inside surfaces of your nose.