I am currently suffering from my first cold of the fall season. Weird – I haven’t had a cold forever but this one has sure made its unpleasant symptoms known. I used almost a full box of tissues on Saturday!
If you want to track how the cold/flu season is progressing, I can suggest a couple of resources:
- WebMD Cold/Flu Conditions – click in on your state to see what symptoms are prevalent. For example, right now Illinois is showing minimal cases of flu – but high levels of congestion, runny nose and coughs which are classic cold symptoms.
- Want a more colorful map? Check out The WeatherBug’s Cold and Flu Map.
And the WeatherBug also reminds us that to avoid catching a cold you should:
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Wash Your hands: The cold virus easily enters through eyes and nose, often carried there on your hands. Washing hands and not touching eyes and nose will decrease the chance of catching a cold.
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Stop rubbing your Eyes and Nose The viruses (there are at least 200 different ones) that cause the common cold enter the body through nose and eyes. The quickest way to get infected is to touch a door and then rub your nose.
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Cover Your Mouth: When coughing or sneezing, cover nose and mouth with elbows or arm. Coughing into hands and then touching doors and water faucets will spread cold virus.
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Stay Home: If you feel sick, stay home. Your friends and your coworkers will appreciate it if you keep the cold out of the office and their homes.
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Avoid Cold Sufferers: if possible, avoid being close to people who show cold symptoms, if possible.
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Exercise: Research suggests people who exercise regularly get the cold less than people who exercise less.
Now I’m going to go make a cup of tea and try not to sniffle – have a great day!
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