There is no way to stop a cold once one comes, but there are ways to prevent it from ever coming.

“The best thing you can do to prevent a cold is wash your hands,” Nurse Angela Hageman said.

Washing hands throughout the day can be difficult because of busy schedules or lack of sinks in the hallways. An alternative is to use an alcohol-based sanitizer. Alcohol-based disinfectant wipes are the best way to clean things. Wiping down things multiple people use throughout the day, such as public keyboards, phones, and door handles is a good way to keep the germ count low.

“Keep hydrated too, so the white cells can fight off infection.” Nurse Hageman said.

The human body is 70% water, so keeping hydrated is directly related to staying healthy. Dehydrated white blood cells do not work as well as hydrated cells. Drinking plenty of water and keeping a well balanced, healthy diet is important to keeping white blood cells healthy.

“Vaccinations are the next best thing to washing hands,” Nurse Hageman said. “But it takes about two weeks for the vaccination to really work.”

If one does get sick, there is not much a person can do to get rid of the infection. The best thing to do is get to a doctor’s appointment when the first symptoms occur. The medicine they prescribe works better in the earlier stages of sickness.

The next thing to do is make sure to rest. Once infected, the virus will run its course. There is no way to stop it when it infects.

“Everyone is different, so every infection or cold is different. Some people are only sick for four or five days, while others can be sick for a week to ten days.”

by Imani Edouard-Sierra