Although it may seem inevitable, there are ways to help prevent the common cold. This dreaded virus often follows with the cold weather and back to school season. But if you want to avoid the cold before it strikes, here are some tips to help prevent it from hitting your household this winter.
Tip #1: Sleep more
Sleeping is restorative and getting regular sleep allows our bodies to function at its best. Depending on your age, you will have different sleep recommendations. For school aged children, expertsconsistently recommend 10-12 hours per night of uninterrupted sleep.
The National Sleep Foundation points out that teens can do with a little less, the average being 9 ½ hours, but most experts seem to round up to 10. Sleep allows the body to rest, grow, and replenish. A good night of sleep allows the brain and muscles some time to recover from the demands of the day and for our organs to work in a relaxed state for a while. This means that our children will be less cranky, they will focus better in school and most importantly, their immune system will be rested and ready to fight off any cold germs that may spread their way.
Tip #2: Hands off
Your mom was probably correct when she said “keep your hands off your face”. Not only can that decrease your chances of acne, it can also keep germs form entering your body in the areas they love to invade. Our hands touch so much at school: the bus handles, the cafeteria trays, and the lockers doors just to name a few. These areas are loaded with germs. Once these germs are on your hands, if you do not wash with soap and warm water or a hand sanitizer, they can easily invade the mucous membranes on our face.
Tip #3: Eat better
The word is out: You need to eat well to stay well. School aged children in particular are dependent on us to provide nutritious foods. They are not capable of going to the food store alone and buying the appropriate items. We need to get in the habit of eating well ourselves and then providing these nutritious foods for them. Studies by the USDA and many pediatric groups have proven the benefits of starting the day with a nutritious breakfast. To keep our bodies functioning at the optimum level, it's a good idea to provide an equally nutritious lunch and an after school snack, especially if they have the demands of an after school club or sport to play are expected. I try to get my patients in the habit of throwing extra granola bars or bags of nuts into their backpacks for a quick healthy pick me up later in the day. In addition, staying hydrated is equally important. Fluids help prevent headaches, fatigue and low energy that can occur later in the school day. If we can keep our bodies fueled up regularly, we can fight off germs much more effectively than we can if our tank is running on empty.
Tip #4: Up to date immunizations
Hopefully we all know that immunizations are safe, much safer than contracting the diseases they prevent. Especially since immunizations no longer contain
Thimerosal in vaccines for children 6 years or younger. Children need vaccinations to attend school and be involved in after school activities. In close quarters, certain bacteria and viruses are very contagious and possibly life threatening. The use of immunizations helps to prevent the transmission of these diseases. The flu vaccination can help prevent your child from getting the flu as well as some other common colds. Studies have shown that the flu vaccine can increase our immunity to other common viruses and therefore, help keep our children safe from illness in close quarters such as classrooms. By itself this may not be enough, but if you immunize you child and practice healthy habits like those mentioned above, your odds of beating a cold will be improved!
