Beating The Common Cold

Is there a way to beat the common cold? Not really, but there are some things you can do to reduce the amount of colds you get every cold and flu season. The most important thing you can do is stop the spread of germs in your home and work area. Cold and flu germs are expelled through the nose and mouth. When you touch your face and then touch anything else, you are leaving your germs for others to catch. Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly. How do you wash your hands thoroughly? You use soap and hot water and wash for around 15 seconds to completely remove germs from your hands. If you can't get to a sink, then carry a package of anti-bacterial wipes in your bag (these can be picked up at the drugstore) or keep a bottle of anti-bacterial gel at your desk (this can also be found at the drugstore). These really work by the way. I work at a hospital once a week and these dispensers are all over the place to keep everyone from spreading their germs around to hospital patients. Once you have a cold though, you can do all the things to comfort yourself like drink lots of liquids, take Vitamin C, etc., but it has to pretty much run its course. The myth that you can catch the same cold twice is just that; a myth. There are millions of cold viruses out there and each one is unique. If you catch a cold and then catch another one right after that, it's a different cold than the one you just had. As for the flu, get a flu shot since catching the flu can lead to more serious complications.