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Common cold prevention

If you're fed up with the misery of catching colds, then you need to learn some prevention techniques. There is no reliable way to totally prevent the common cold but you can lessen your chances and perhaps suffer fewer colds. You just have to learn some new behaviour and lifestyle habits, then use them every day, all year round. When you do, you can help avoid coming into contact with the contagious cold viruses. Here’s what you need to know to fend off the common cold.

Wash your hands frequently for common cold prevention

Your best protection against the common cold and flu is frequent hand washing. Amazingly, many contagious diseases are transmitted by touch. The simple friction that occurs when you rub skin against skin while using hot water and soap, then follow that with thorough rinsing and drying, gets rid of potentially harmful germs.

While viruses are often transferred to others through household objects, telephones, doorknobs, toothbrushes or tap handles, the biggest transportation centre is your hands. That's why frequent hand washing gets rid of illness-causing germs and is thought to help prevent the spread of some diseases, especially if a family member or friend has a cold or flu virus.

The simple act of hand washing is the single most important means of preventing the spread of viral and bacterial infections. Yet studies reveal that many people using public toilets don't wash their hands before leaving. People also forget to wash their hands before preparing meals, and they grab snacks without thinking of hand washing as well. If you want to help prevent colds, just stop, and wash your hands.

Natural tips for common cold prevention

You can't cure a common cold. The best thing you can do is try to prevent yourself from catching one of the viruses that causes the common cold.

Common cold prevention at school

If you're a parent, you know how a cold can spread through a family, making everyone feel poorly and miserable. There are some excellent tips to stop germs spreading at school. You'll have to do a little homework to learn these tips and teach them to your children, but in the long run they can help you have a much more enjoyable school year.

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WebMD Medical Reference

Medically Reviewed by Dr Rob Hicks on December 28, 2010

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Preventing cold and flu viruses

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