Six surprising ways to catch a cold

Eating poorly and not sleeping enough are just two ways to boost your odds of catching a cold.

Cold and Flu

asktheexpert
Sonia Chartier
@AVogel_ca


02 October 2016

Touching your face

Scratch your nose, rest your head on your hand, whisk a lock of hair from in front of your eyes… the list goes on. Every day, you touch your face between 2,000 and 4,000 times without even realizing it.

So what’s the problem? Well, your hands are a breeding ground for bacteria, so every time you touch your face, you considerably increase the odds of your catching a cold. Because of your hands, bacteria can easily make their way into your nose, mouth or ears and seed an infection. All this to say, make sure to wash your hands often!

Getting too close

Is someone around you suffering from a cold? If so, keep your distance, at least two metres away to be exact! “Arm’s length” is the usual advice, but that’s really not enough. And keep in mind that droplets of nasal secretions remain airborne for 20 seconds! Eek!

Going up!

Taking the stairs is not only good for you, it also helps you build resistance. Elevator buttons are teeming with bacteria. Believe it or not, most bathrooms harbour fewer bacteria than a typical elevator. If you really have to take the elevator, press the buttons with your elbow, your keys, a pen or any other object at hand. And if you can’t do that, at least wash your hands after using it.

Shaking hands

It also just so happens that kissing people on the cheek is less of a health risk than shaking someone’s hands. As mentioned above, hands teem with bacteria because we’re always touching things (elevator buttons, shopping cart handles, door handles, etc.), which makes them perfect incubators for contamination.

Flushing

Do you flush the toilet without putting the cover down first? Big mistake! When you flush, bacteria in the bowl are literally catapulted throughout the room, up to two metres in every direction! Wouldn’t it be better to avoid becoming their landing pad? And remember to keep your toothbrush (and other hygiene supplies) at a safe distance!

Going without socks 

Do your feet get cold easily? If so, you’re less well protected against colds. As soon as you get cold feet, your veins contract to reduce heat loss from your body. The same reaction happens in your nose, which is the main entryway for viruses. And when your veins contract, your nose ends up with fewer virus-fighting white blood cells.

Natural help for fighting colds

Echinaforce natural remedies contain effective, proven ingredients that boost the immune system, which is what protects you from bacterial and viral infections. With help from Echinaforce, you’ll get sick less often, and when you do get sick, you’ll recover faster!

A.Vogel Echinaforce® Echinacea Purpurea extract

A.Vogel Echinaforce®

50mL

Can be taken by pregnant and breast feeding women. Gluten-, sugar- and lactose-free.
More info

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