The Common Cold
Posted: September 28, 2020 | By: Stacy Croninger
The common cold. Some would say there is nothing common about it. At times it is hard to know if you have a cold, the flu, allergies, or something more serious. So how do you know if it is a cold? We’re going to dive into that together and offer ways to help you weather your cold.
Signs and Stages
Deciding if you have a cold, allergies, or something else can be hard. There are specific stages (identified by Medical News Today) for a cold that may help you identify what you have.
Stage 1: you may experience tiredness, fatigue, and a runny or stuffy nose.
Stage 2: this stage is when symptoms ramp up and is considered the peak stage of a cold. You may experience mild aches, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, congestions, cough, fatigue, and other symptoms.
Stage 3: usually after 7-10 days, you’ll hit this stage where symptoms ease up and you start recovering. You may still find you have some lingering symptoms such as runny nose, stuffiness, and cough that could continue for 14 days.
Now that you know the symptoms, let’s look at what you can do to help ease them.
Help Your Symptoms
While there is no cure for a cold, these things suggested by Medical News Today may help your body recover more quickly or relieve your symptoms.
- drink plenty of fluids
- drink hot water with honey and lemon to help soothe a sore throat or cough
- suck on throat lozenges to soothe the throat
- take a cough medicine to help with a tickly cough
- use a humidifier
- use a saline nasal spray or nasal drops to help clear congestion
Prevention is the Best Medicine
Want to avoid a cold? Then you need to work on prevention measures. The CDC recommends the following:
- Stay at home while you are sick and keep children out of school or daycare while they are sick.
- Avoid close contact with others, such as hugging, kissing, or shaking hands.
Move away from people before coughing or sneezing.- Cough and sneeze into a tissue then throw it away, or cough and sneeze into your upper shirt sleeve, completely covering your mouth and nose.
- Wash your hands after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
- Disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects, such as toys and doorknobs.
Staying at home when sick is the best thing YOU can do to prevent spreading a cold. And we all know how hard this is to do. We think it isn’t a big deal – it’s just a cold. But it really can make a difference to those you come in contact with.
Another way to prevent a cold is to take care of yourself. Make sure you are eating well, getting enough sleep, and getting the nutrition you need. That means taking your 90 For Life products! Also, we have products that help support a healthy immune system such as Zinc+Immune Support, Killer Biotic Fx®, Ultimate Zinc™, and Immu-911™, to name a few.
And to help with keeping your hands and surfaces clean while you’re out and about, try the Youngevity Hand Sanitizer Gel (in 2 oz bottles that are easy to tuck in a purse or backpack) or Sanitizing Hand Wipes. Both kill 99.99% of germs, so make sure you have them on hand at home, work, and in the car.
Remember, the best way to avoid a cold is to prevent it, but if you get a cold, make sure you take care of yourself and others by staying home during the peak of your symptoms!
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