›› Prevent a Cold
Since there
isn’t any cure for the common cold, treating the symptoms or
taking some steps to prevent a cold from occurring in the first place
is really all we can do. Since it’s always better
to prevent a cold than deal with it once it arrives, I prefer to focus
on the preventative side of things.
So what can we do to prevent a cold, you ask? Well,
I’m glad you asked because I’m going to tell
you. Cold viruses are all around us all the time.
They are also inside of us all of the time. The reason we
don’t get sick all the time is because our immune systems
keep the viruses and bacteria of our bodies in check. We get
sick when our immune systems fail. Staying inside out of the
cold has nothing to do with colds, and most of the time won’t
by itself prevent a cold.
It’s easy to see than that the best way to prevent a cold is
to make sure our immune systems are strong and healthy. So
what are some good ways to keep your immune system healthy?
One important thing you can do to keep a solid immune system and
therefore prevent a cold is get regular sleep. No one really
understands how exactly, but sleep seems to play a role in regulating
and maintaining a lot of functions including our immune
systems.
Perhaps even more important than sleep and crucial in trying to prevent
a cold is keep stress levels down. Stress can take many
forms, and isn’t always what you immediately think of when
you see the word. Yes, stress can mean pressure at work or
from a difficult period in you life, but you are also putting your body
under stress when you go out partying all night as well.
Other common ways to prevent a cold include maintaining a good diet,
drinking plenty of fluids, and getting all your needed vitamins,
especially vitamin C and E. Also, getting regular exercise
seems to help a lot as well. All these are methods in
maintaining a healthy immune system, which will not only help prevent a
cold, but will help you prevent a number of harmful diseases much more
serious than colds.
If you are especially worried about getting a cold in the near future,
you can try zinc supplements as an added immune system boost.
I don’t recommend taking them all the time, but if your
significant other just came down with a cold and you know
you’re next, they may help prevent a cold you’d
otherwise surely get. I recommend Cold-Ez as a brand of zinc
lozenges; they taste less horrible than the rest and also have vitamin
C in them.
››
A Healthy Dose of Good Advice
