The 'r' is in the month again and for many people that means sniffling, coughing and suffering from a lot of mucus. A cold is never nice, but in this time not fun at all. Do you want to skip being sick this year? Here are 11 things you should do to avoid a cold.
Just a quick reminder what a cold is again, since many people confuse colds, flu and other things with each other. A cold is an inflammation of the mucous membrane in the nose, throat and sinuses. This is due to a virus, "(source home doctor). Symptoms of a cold include a stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough, hoarseness and earache.
Although you can never avoid a virus with 100% certainty, you can do as much as possible to avoid it. Below you will find 11 tips to avoid a cold.
Washing hands has been a mantra for almost 2 years now. Unfortunately, many people still wash their hands completely wrong. The thumbs are especially forgotten. Soaping your hands and especially your thumbs well reduces the chance of contracting a virus a lot. Especially because you often use your thumbs to hold a smartphone and that is an item that is rarely cleaned.
It sounds so simple, but there are still more than enough people who put bags on the floor. Heavy shopping bags in particular are regularly placed on the floor. Whether it's for waiting for the bus or train or to open the trunk of the car. But bags are also regularly placed on the floor at work. Do not do this! Because there can be germs lurking on the floor that you can take home that way.
It seems so romantic:you share a toothbrush holder with your partner. Your toothbrushes regularly touch each other. Unfortunately, your mouth is the place par excellence where a lot of bacteria can be found. The common cold virus can also wander in your mouth and linger on your toothbrush. Don't want to light anyone? Then make sure your toothbrushes are in a separate toothbrush holder.
Most people think about disinfecting door handles, but overlook the handles of cabinets and drawers. But these are also places that you should not miss while cleaning.
It is generally good in the Netherlands for people to walk through the house with shoes that they wear outside on the street. Unfortunately, this also means that in addition to dirt, you also simply carry germs into the house. This can cause problems, especially if you have small children. But even if you regularly sit on the floor yourself, you run the risk of getting sick more quickly.
We are on our smartphone more than ever. Whether it's to check our mail, to be busy on social media or to chat. The phone goes everywhere with you and therefore comes into contact with everything and anything. Have you been out of the house all day? Then disinfect your phone before washing your hands. And especially don't use the phone in bed or in the bathroom or in the toilet when you just come from outside.
The R is in the month and that means you have to work on your immune system. For many people, autumn and winter are also the months when they have poor vitamin D levels. Do you want to be resistant to a virus? Then it is very important that your body has enough vitamin D. Have this checked by the doctor and do not just swallow on your own.
In addition to vitamin D, it is also important to get enough vitamin C. You can easily get these vitamins at Kruidvat or Trekpleister. It is almost impossible to get too much of this, since it is a water-soluble vitamin. You simply pee out too much. You do have to be careful with certain conditions and taking regular pills.
If you only knew how many bacteria and germs are on and around your desk at work, you'd probably run away screaming. Therefore, it is better not to eat your lunch at your work table. The best place to have lunch is still the canteen.
From the moment it gets cold outside and the heating comes on again inside, the air in the house becomes extremely dry. If there is one place where a virus does well, it is in dry air. This is because dry air ensures that our mucous membranes become drier and viruses and bacteria can therefore more easily get a hold of us.
You can do something about the dry air in different ways. For example, use a humidifier. Or place a saucer with water on the central heating system. Airing 3-5 times a day (5 minutes is sufficient) also helps to drain dry house into air and replace it with clean, moist air.
Various studies have proven that probiotics, for example in the form of yogurt, help to prevent infections in the upper respiratory tract. You can perfectly combine the yogurt with blueberries that boost your immune system.
A well-known duo that keeps you healthy in the winter is ginger and lemon. Ginger is in any case a super good natural medicine that tackles many ailments. Lemon has a high vitamin C content, which makes it a natural booster for your health. If you combine these two, you not only have a nice drink, but you reduce the risk of infection with a cold.
