Winter brings with it a lot of celebrations, however it also carries with it a high prevalence of common cold and flu among people. To avoid common cold and flu during the winter season, it is necessary to adopt proper winter health maintenance practices to enjoy the season without any health issues.
This is meant to explain that these illnesses are common in winter seasons, there are prevention measures that one can take to avoid them. In this blog we will discuss preventing colds and flus in winter for you and your family’s well being.Â
Understanding the Cold and Flu
Recognizing the early signs of an illness by categorising it as a cold or flu can come in very handy when appropriate steps need to be undertaken. Let’s start with the classic:
Cold Symptoms: Nasal congestions, mild dry cough, sore throat, sniffs, and sometimes mild tiredness. Generally, these symptoms are not severe and instead, they gradually build up.
Flu Symptoms: Abnormally high body temperature, shivers, severe pains in the body, extreme bodily weakness, and a troublesome dry cough. In contrast to cold symptoms, influenza symptoms begin very quickly and are often much worse than that of common colds, usually forcing one to bed.
The common cold and the flu are two viral infections that can easily be passed from one person to the other through cough and sneeze droplets.
They can also be acquired by touching infected objects. The probability of getting such infections is more in the winter season because many people are indoors and often physically face to face with each other.Â
Also Read: How to Treat Common Cold and Flu Naturally for Quick Relief?
Importance of Hand Washing
In relation to the flu, effective hand washing has been proven to be a core practice that minimises the risk of infection. When people touch surfaces and then their face, germs from those surfaces easily travel to their hands, and eventually to the body. Therefore, Frequent hand washing should be encouraged.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends regular handwashing, vaccination, and avoiding close contact with sick individuals as effective measures to prevent the spread of colds and flu.
Steps to Hand Washing Properly:
1. Get Soap and Warm Water: Soap works on germs by raising them off the skin. Warm water works on soap by washing it and the germs away.
2. Scrub for at Least 20 Seconds: Ensure that every part of the hand is washed, including the back of hands, spaces between fingers and under the nails.
3. Dry with a Clean Towel: Thorough drying also helps in getting rid of residual germs that might be present.
In case there is no soap and water, cover the hands with a use an alcohol based sanitiser. In addition, please refrain from putting your hands on your face, especially the eyes, nose and mouth as this is a pathway for germs into the body.
As you know, we often have parties during the cold season. To ensure everyone stays healthy, please avoid bringing any sugary snacks, processed foods, or alcoholic beverages.
Enhancing Immunity During the Flu Seasons
In order to improve immunity in winter, it is advisable to embrace healthy lifestyle changes. Your first line of defence against colds and flu is a competent immune system.
Some useful tips to give a boost to Immunity:
Moderate Climbs: Include food that serves some purpose for the immune system such as oranges, berries, and spinach or almonds which are all high in vitamin C and D where these nutrients aid in maintaining an immune system to fight viruses.
Fluid Intake: Hydration of the body is no less important in winter as it is in summer. It is because water aids in the functionality of the immune system.
Physical Activity: Regular moderate exercise serves to boost immunity since it enhances blood circulation, thereby allowing the movement of immune cells throughout the body without obstructions.
Sufficient Rest: It is important to note that sleeping for 7–9 hours regularly should be observed to achieve and maintain a healthy immune system. It is during this time that the body undergoes restoration, including improving respiratory function, which is crucial for immune health.
Proper Nutrition for PreventionÂ
What you consume plays an important part in preventing colds and flu. Good nutrition can improve the immune system quality and help the body resist infections.Â
Foods that Help Prevent Colds:Â
Vitamin C: Vitamin C boosts immunity and can be found in citrus fruits, bell peppers, and strawberries. This vitamin facilitates the proliferation of infection-fighting white blood cells.Â
Vitamin D: During the winter season, sunlight is in limited supply therefore one should obtain vitamin D from edible sources, such as fortified cereals, salmon, and various other dairy food products
Zinc: A vital mineral that enhances the immune response and is abundant in nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Zinc is effective in shortening the duration of cold-related symptoms.Â
Ginger, Garlic, and Turmeric: The foods have been consumed for several centuries as preventive and curative measures to reinfections due to their natural anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting properties.Â
Minimise consumption of processed and sweetened foods as they temper the immune response leading to readiness for disease. Read the complete article on How to Treat Common Cold and Flu Naturally for Quick Relief?
Ensure to Keep Yourself Warm and Well ProtectedÂ
Ensuring warmth during winter is not only a matter of personal satisfaction but it also contributes towards making sure that a person does not suffer from any colds or flu. Here are some protective measures you can take:
Dress in Layers: Wearing more than one layer helps in enhancing the body temperature and restraining the outside cold. For instance, wearing moisture absorbing fabrics against the skin and then thermal wearing on top.
Home Environment: In the course of the year, keep the household moderately warm, but do so in such a way as to prevent the occupants from virally contaminated atmospheric air.Â
Remember to use a dehumidifier to avoid dry air, which encourages cracking in the skin and throat.Â
Protective Gear: Do not forget scarves, hats, gloves and any other appliances to cover the skin and minimize exposure to cold weather and to lessen heat from the body while going outside.
Importance of Hydration
The flu season approaches people have dynamic habits, yet nutrition and hydration are often the last of the list checked. Yet it is an important factor in health maintenance during winter. This is because even when it is cold, one’s body also needs enough water for it to perform all its uses to the fullest.
How to Maintain Hydration:
Drink more water and non- alcoholic: Non- caffeinated drinks such as herbal teas and thin porridge are good supplements in maintaining hydration as well as protecting the respiratory tract.
Warm Fluids :The warm fluids such as herbal teas, lemon water, and warm broth will not only serve to keep one hydrated but they will also soothe such a person’s throat whenever need be.
Caffeine and Sugary Drinks are not Recommended: They may lead to an opposite effect of what is required by the body – these beverages may lead to dehydration of the body tissues which in turn makes it difficult for the body to fight any foreign pathogens.
Regular Vaccination
The flu can be prevented in many ways and taking the vaccine is ranked among the top. When we talk about the flu vaccine, it is quite inevitable to hide the emphasis that one’s chances of getting the flu are slim to none with this shot and always severe symptoms are avoided even if one falls ill.
Flu Vaccination Tips:
Universal Flu Immunization: Every person should be geared for vaccination every year especially young children, older adults and other individuals with compromised immune systems.
Effectiveness of the Vaccines: The fact that the treatment cannot guarantee one hundred per cent protection does not mean it will not be helpful in preventing severe sickness and related risks.
Confronting Misconceptions: There are no living viruses, or virus proteins that can make one sick, in the flu vaccine, so such a vaccine cannot cause the flu in any way.
Also Read: Chronic Disease Prevention: Strategies for a Healthier Life
Avoiding Crowded Places and Close Contact
In winter, it is imperative to prevent falling sick by reducing interaction with potentially infected individuals.
Ways to Minimize Exposure to Overpopulation:
Social distancing: It is important to remain indoors in rush hours whenever the flu is at its peak as the viruses tend to spread quite quickly in quarters.
Public domain: These are areas that are regarded to be high-risk such as commuter trains and buses, shopping centers or even offices where the chances of virus infection are extremely high.
Cover your mouth when sneezing: Always carry a handkerchief, tissue or use your elbow whenever you are to cough or sneeze so as to avoid spreading infections to other people.
Managing stress for better immunityÂ
Managing stress is a powerful yet often overlooked natural remedy for flu prevention. Here’s how it helps:
Inflammation and Stress: Prolonged stress has negative effects on the body’s defence mechanism hence putting one at a greater risk of diseases like influenza.
Stress Mitigating Measures: Adopt such methods for reducing stress, such as practising meditation and yoga and performing deep breathing exercises on a regular basis.
Work-Life Balance:Â Boredom or excessive tiredness may result from failure to balance work and leisure.
Also Read: Breathing Techniques to Reduce Stress
Conclusion
It is important to take a number of measures to remain healthy in winter. Coping with the winter months without the cold or flu is easy if you comprehend the significance of good hygiene, eating right, drinking enough fluids, and relieving one’s self of stress so as to get sick less often. Engage in activities where you frequently wash your hands, do not get exposed to the cold, strengthen your body’s resistance, and get vaccines.
Therefore, it is possible to have a fun-filled winter season while making sure that you and your loved ones remain healthy and free from any form of flu.
