What are some ways to avoid a cold/flu?

Question

I caught bronchitis most recently and got over it. Now my friend has a cold! Is there a way to avoid this getting colds in general? I use lots of hand sanitizer to kill germs and I try to stay away from people with a cold/flu but it's hard!

edit: I use the hand sanitizer given to us in school, and I avoided contacted with other people. In the end, I still got bronchitis. What I'm looking for is another solution. Like herbs, vitamins, medicines, etc. Don't be an idiot and be like: omg! you gotta avoid contact with people!111 duhhhh!!!11111

Answer 1

Have you ever tried Airbourne? I swear by it, especially the gummis..also Zicam nasal swabs. Aside from these home remedies when you feel something coming on.......
Try to keep your resistance strong....try to get plenty of rest, take extra vitamins and minerals like C and zinc, drink lots of water to flush toxins from your system, and avoid stress (which does a number on your immune system because it wears you down!) It's impossible to avoid people in crowded places....so just wash your hands frequently (and not with bar soap may I add....) Germs are microscopic as you know...so they are on every surface and in the air. In the winter, your body is works even harder with the cold weather temperatures to stay at "normal" body levels. (my own philosophy...) I feel like it runs me down. It's not just because we are inside more... a lot of people are inside almost all the time because of their occupations.
Just an added thought.... this may sound strange...but there is something about "getting away" on a little vacation when you can't seem to break the cycle of getting colds and upper respiratory infections. The salt water air at the ocean really seems to revive me and heal upper respiratory stuff once and for all. Good luck!

Answer 2

You really answered your own question. Stay out of crowded areas, wash hands often and use hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol. Eat wisely; keep your immune system as strong as possible with enough sleep, leave sugar alone. When it's cold and the air is too dry in your home, use a humidifier so your sinuses will stay healthy. Pray.

Answer 3

Although everyone in a room may seem healthy, any person who had been in that room, or touched a doorknob, or any surface, may have left a cold/flu germ there. Cleanse, cleanse, cleanse your hands often! Also, read online that in cold weather, people are more susceptible to catching germs when outdoors because the bacillii (hairs inside our nose that catch germs, thus filtering them out), tend to be forced to a standstill by the cold weather. These hairs constantly "wave" to catch any/all foreign objects that may enter our nasal passages, and therefore, our bodies. When these hairs are cold, they cant "wave"; thus, we get runny noses since our mucus can no longer be held back by these hairs.

Answer 4

Sometimes it can be hard to avoid it. You could always try getting a flu shot. That doesn't prevent it but if you get the flu it won't be as bad.

Answer 5

Wash your hands frequently! My family, 4 kids and husband, all got the flu at the same time and I took care of everyone of them and never caught it. I washed my hands so many times it wasn't funny! I got a bit of a germ thing with my hands anyways so this wasn't hard for me to do. But yeah, wash, wash, wash your hands.

Answer 6

- Try these tips for staying cold and flu-free. Courtesy of Quick and Simple Magazine.

* Make the air more humid. Keeping your nasal passages moist makes it easier for the germ-fighting hairs in your nose to beat back viruses. How do you do this? Fill a couple of bowls with warm water and keep them near your bed at night. The water will evaporate while you sleep, which’ll humidify the air. You can also keep your nasal passages moist by taking steamy showers and drinking plenty of water.
* Use a saline spray. Cold viruses gain entry to your body by attaching themselves to molecules called ICAM-1 – which hide in your nose. But according to ear, nose, and throat doctor Murray Grossman, spritzing your schnoz with a saline spray helps reduce the number of ICAM-1 molecules in your nose. So squirt your nose once or twice a day to help fight off colds – you can find saline spray in most drugstores.
* Get active. Studies show that moderate exercise helps release ‘killer cells’ into your bloodstream – which hunt down and attack any invading viruses. But make sure you don’t overdo it. According to exercise immunologist David Nieman, overly exhaustive workouts can suppress your immunity for up to 3 days!
* Squash stress. Feeling constantly frazzled wreaks havoc on your immune system! In fact, a recent study found that military recruits were more likely to get upper-respiratory infections right after they went through combat training – which is quite stressful. So keep stress at bay by taking at least 15 minutes each day to relax. And when you do feel frazzled, take a few deep breaths to help your body relax.

- Ranked according to which were found to be most contaminated:

* Movie theatre seats which have more germs than public bathroom surfaces.
* Gym equipment
* Park benches
* Bank countertops
* The number 1 germiest thing: The rails and armrests on public buses

- First germ-spreader: checkout counter credit card and debit card machines. On a busy day, 3-thousand customers go through one warehouse store checkout line. And a lot of them will touch the buttons and stylus on the payment machine. To guard against germs: keep a pen in your pocket or purse, and use the non-writing end to punch the buttons and sign your electronic signature. And since public pens at restaurants, banks, gas stations, and doctor’s offices can be covered with millions of illness-inducing organisms, your personal pen will come in handy all day long.
- Next germy surface: shopping carts at department stores. Studies show that grocery-store carts get worse hygiene grades than public restrooms. But shopping carts at stores like Target and Wal-Mart are even worse, because they’re almost never cleaned. The quick fix: clean the handle and child seat with a disinfecting wipe. If your store doesn’t have wipes near the cart racks, cover the cart handle with a plastic grocery bag.
- And the final germ-toucher’s nightmare: The door leading into the bathroom. A new study shows that the exterior bathroom door handle has 200% more viruses and bacteria like E.coli than the interior door handle.To avoid picking up those illness-causing microbes, use a tissue to open the restroom door and stall, and toss it in the trash once you’re inside.

- Here's how to protect yourself from colds and the flu: If you've got a cold, eat garlic- If you're coughing, eat oysters- And if you get the flu, eat some tuna--Just what someone who's nauseous wants to eat! You can blame the health experts at First magazine for those suggestions.

All found at tesh.com.

Answer 7

While the virus is transmitted by droplet infection and by hand contact, the better option is to develop resistance. Immune system can be strengthened in several ways. Hoemopathy and Ayurveda are good options apart from vitamin supplements, esp. Vitamin C.

Answer 8

A good suggestion is to only use one telephone for yourself, and clean other receivers before using them. There is a product out there that is a tablet dissolved in water high in vitamins that is meant to boost your immune system. Lots of juice too!

Answer 9

Wash hands frequently & vigorously.

Keep hands away from face... particulary out of orifices (eyes, ears, nose, mouth).

Get good nourishment from your foods.

Take astragalus to boost immunity.

Drink green tea to decrease inflammation in the body.

Get plenty of rest at night (at least 7 hours minimum).

Answer 10

Wat U described is a good method (avoiding direct contact as well as direct breath). Since U've bronchitis, I believe u r taking treatment for the same.

But wat you are asking is coz of ur fear.. U've 2 kill it first. I can give u a best suggession.
Everymorning U take 1 gooseberry with a glassful of water on empty stomach. or Take Vit.C tablet-500 mg everymorning.
I can promise u an improved immunity. (Gooseberry is the best)

Dont be so much bothered..else u'll find life hard.

TakeCare,
Live Well.
Regards.