We all hate catching colds. They make us feel uncomfortable and give us sleepless nights for about a week, and turn our daily lives into a misery, as every small task becomes hard work.
Becoming more aware of just how colds are caught, may help you minimize the risk of catching the cold virus in the first place. You can catch a cold in two ways - through contact with droplets in the air when a cold sufferer close to you talks, sneezes or coughs, or through objects that someone with a cold touches. Yes, it's that easy, and consequently extremely difficult to avoid.
Here are a few words of advise, easy things to do and therefore very easy to forget. But a little more awareness of your own behaviour and those around you can mean the difference between a heavy cold season, or not.
Wash your hands - They come in contact with germs often. From shopping carts to children's toys. If the virus stays on your hands until you wash it off, then it's no problem. But usually, unconsciously, we touch our faces or our children's faces or hands, and then become infected.
The best thing to do is carry some protective wipes around in the car, and make sure the whole family washes their hands as soon as they get home. That includes other children you've brought home for playdates. No child in my house is allowed to walk into the playroom without making a bathroom stop first.
Carry a handkerchief or tissues - Coughing and sneezing without covering your nose and mouth means that tiny saliva droplets are spread into the air instantly. Be kind to others when you have a cold, and also use a handkerchief to cover your nose and mouth, and teach your children to do the same.
Using a mild soap and hand cream, means that washing your hands throughout cold season won't cause a problem to your skin. And being aware of doing this often (without becoming fanatical) will mean the family will be less likely of becoming infected with the same germs.
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As seen in Oprah’s Magazine!