How to Evade the Common Cold and Its Symptoms

Evade the common cold with good cleaning and hygiene practices.

On average, adults experience one to three colds a year and children can experience up to six colds a year. The cold is one of the most common illnesses that can occur in the human population. It can cause a runny nose, sneezing and a scratchy throat. Most often, these symptoms are mild and short-lived as the cold can persist anywhere from 7 to 14 days. Because the cold can occur so frequently, precautions should be taken to avoid catching a cold and passing it on to others.

Instructions

1. Wash your hands with soap and water. This is a simple and effective way to avoid catching the common cold. Hands need to be washed often and thoroughly. Teach children to wash their hands as well. If soap and water are not available for a thorough washing, then utilize anti-bacterial hand wash or gel.

2. Clean surfaces in the home with a disinfectant that kills viruses. Cleaning these surfaces with a disinfectant can help prevent the spread of the infection. This is a necessary step as the rhinovirus has the ability to live up to three hours on both human skin and on objects.

3. Ingest herbal supplements, such as Echinacea. Echinacea can help in shortening the duration of the common cold. Taking Vitamin C may also reduce the severity and length of the symptoms of the common cold.

4. Eat honey. It can aid in treating coughs and soothing a sore throat. A small glass of warm water infused with honey at bedtime assists in relieving nighttime coughing. This remedy is only good for older children and adults. Never give honey to children under one year of age due to the danger of infantile botulism.

5. Suck on zinc lozenges or lollipops. This can also help shorten the duration of the common cold and relieve the severity of the symptoms. The shorter the common cold, the less chance of passing the virus onto others.

References

• NIAID: Common Cold