Tips on Preventing Colds and Flu

A child who develops a fever, cough, and rapid breathing after the first three days of cold symptoms may have bacterial pneumonia. This is also why it is really important that your child is up-to-date with his vaccinations. Certain immunizations can protect him from complications that come with the cold, such as invasive pneumococcal disease. What parents should not be too concerned about is the color of the cold mucus. People have this belief that if the mucus is clear, then it’s a mild kind of cold, but once it turns green, then it’s a bacterial infection and we should start giving antibiotics already. The fact is, the change in color is caused by the increase in the number of white blood cells in the nose, which are fighting the infection. Preventive Tips The best way to protect your child from the virus is to teach him to frequently and properly wash his hands. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also helpful. Teach your child to avoid touching his eyes, nose, and ...

To avoid catching a cold or the flu, just staying away from those who are infected may not be adequate protection. Even though it’s easy to confuse a cold with the flu, the two viruses have nothing in common –except their ability to inflict misery, say scientists. Colds come wrapped in sneezes, coughs, occasional fever, congestion and a general listlessness. When cold sufferers wheeze, sneeze or cough, they spray fine droplets of virus-bearing mucus and saliva into the environment. Until those tiny droplets dry, which can take several hours or even days, they are capable of infecting others with the cold virus. According to some experts, “It’s usually the people who are considerate enough to cough or sneeze into a tissue or handkerchief who spread the infection>” the mucus, say the experts, leaks through the paper onto their hands, taking the virus along with it. As a result, you can catch a cold virus from a telephone receiver, computer keyboard, coffee utensils or by shak...

Taking responsibility for your own well-being is a main tenet of the holistic approach to good health. Many prevention techniques come down to using common sense about your health. 1 . Wash your hands. Wash your hands often during the day, preferably with a disinfectant, antibacterial soap. Wash more frequently if you’re around sick people. 2 . Don’t cover your sneezes and coughs with your hands . Because the germs and viruses cling to your bare hands, muffling coughs and sneezes with your hands results in passing along your germs to others. When you feel a sneeze or cough coming on, turn your head away or look down while you’re expelling your germs into the air. If you find you’re instinctively covering up anyway, use a tissue and dispose of it immediately, then wash your hands. 3. Get rid of your cloth handkerchiefs Cotton handkerchiefs may be a time-honored family tradition, but using them is a sure way to launch your own personal cold and flu season. Switch to pa...