"How to Avoid Colds"

The common cold is a viral infection (usually caused by the highly contagious rhinovirus) of the upper respiratory tract — your nose, sinuses and throat.The common cold is usually harmless, but common symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, sore throat and coughing can cause you to miss work or school for a few days. Avoiding colds entirely is not realistic for most people — sometimes you can do everything right and still get sick — but there are a number of helpful strategies and behaviors that can reduce the likelihood of coming down with one or potentially shorten their duration. Wash your hands frequently. Washing your hands often throughout the day is probably the single most effective measure to prevent the spread of the common cold and germs in general. The cold virus usually spreads via mucus and saliva from people's noses and mouths, which gets on to their hands and everything they touch. Wash with warm water and regular soap. Wash your hands after touching people, working on a computer, shopping, going to the gym and/or spending time in public places. Wash your hands after sneezing, coughing, after using the bathroom and before eating. Carry some alcohol-based hand sanitizer and/or wipes with you to clean your hands when you're out of the house.You can also wipe down surfaces before touching them, such as grocery cart handles. at a nutritious diet. If a cold virus gets into your body it doesn't mean you'll automatically get sick because your immune system is designed to kill viruses, bacteria and other invaders. As such, keep your immune system strong by eating nutritious food, particularly fresh fruit and vegetables, with each meal. Fruits and veggies are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and other compounds that stimulate immunity. If you find it difficult or unappealing to eat fresh (raw) produce throughout the day, then consider juicing them into a deliciously healthy beverage. Federal guidelines recommend getting five to nine servings of fruit and veggies each day. Orange, yellow-orange and deep green colored produce tend to be the most potent for protecting against the common cold and other viral infections. Drink plenty of fluids. Drinking lots of fluid throughout the day is important for protecting against viral and bacterial infections because the mucus membranes lining your nose, sinuses, mouth, throat and lungs need water to remain moist and protective. This first line of defense against germs is called the mucociliary clearance system and it depends on good hydration to function well. Aim for at least eight 8-ounce glasses of purified water each day — maybe more if it's hot and you're sweating. Most of your intake should be based on water, but you can add in some natural fruit juice, low-fat milk and herbal teas also. Don't drink soda pop (especially colas) and other sweetened drinks because they tend to depress your immune function for a few hours or more. Avoid alcoholic and caffeinated drinks because they can dehydrate you and reduce your immune function temporarily. Chicken noodle soup does actually help prevent or combat a cold because it's a good source of nutrition and hydration, and it acts as a decongestant. Consider taking vitamin C. Vitamin C is probably the most studied supplement in terms of preventing the common cold and the results have been mixed and somewhat controversial. Although many people swear by the vitamin, most scientific studies claim that it doesn't prevent colds, but it can reduce the duration and severity of the illness. However, critics of many studies claim not enough was given to people to make a difference. For dosage, start with at least 1,000mg daily and build up to 3,000mg over the course of a week or so to make a significant impact on the common cold. Some people take 1,000mg of vitamin C per hour for a handful of hours when they feel they're at risk or in the early stages of the illness, but medical recommendations are typically much lower. This is mega dosing and most likely will not result in any substantial benefit, as your body eliminates excess through urine. Don't take more than 1,000mg at a time, especially if you're not accustomed to it, because it can trigger a short bout of stomach upset and/or diarrhea. Vitamin C typically comes in capsules or tablets. Some tablets are meant to be dissolved in water. Look into vitamin D. Vitamin D acts much like a hormone and is important for immune function. Humans make vitamin D3 in their skin when exposed to certain frequencies of summer sunshine, but many people are deficient in the vitamin because they avoid the sun, work indoors or live in northerly climates. Although the research is inconclusive for the common cold, vitamin D supplements (in the form of D3 drops) can make a significant impact on reducing the risk of developing an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI).[The common cold is a type of URTI, so vitamin D is certainly worth a try as a preventative strategy typical preventative dosages are between 2,000–5,000 IUs of vitamin D3 per day. Instead of supplementing, you can spend more time outdoors during summer months, as vitamin D is stored in our bodies for many months if it's not immediately needed. Wearing sunscreen can reduce the amount of vitamin D your skin makes but it is extremely important in preventing skin cancer. The amount of vitamin D you need depends on many factors, including skin type, time of year, and where you live.For most people, short exposure to sunlight (around 15 minutes or so) should be sufficient — if you get red or sunburned skin, then this is an indication that you have overdone it. Try taking echinacea. Echinacea flowers have been used medicinally for many hundreds of years, particularly to treat and prevent respiratory infections. Modern research on the effectiveness of echinacea preventing or shortening the common cold is mixed, but it seems that in some people it can significantly reduce the severity and duration of symptoms when taken during the early stages. The type of echinacea plant and the preparation used makes a big difference in terms of effectiveness. Consult with a herbalist or Chinese medicine practitioner for advice. Consider growing the plant yourself and then drying the flowers and using them to make a herbal tea — maybe 3 cups daily as a preventative measure. Store-bought echinacea comes in capsules, tea bags and tinctures (liquids). Experiment with zinc supplements. Much like vitamin C, the cold-fighting reputation of zinc is also controversial and research on the mineral is mixed. However, zinc is important for immune function, particularly the health of mucus membranes in the respiratory tract. It seems that taking zinc supplements is most effective within 24 hours of the onset of cold symptoms. Zinc typically comes in capsules, tablets, lozenges and nasal sprays. Over-doing it with zinc nasal sprays can cause permanent damage to your sense of smell, so be careful. For the common cold, doses range from about 5–25mg of zinc (gluconate or acetate) in the form of lozenges or capsules every one to three hours for up to a day.