Typically, around this time of year, a large majority of us tend to start feeling unwell. Let me rephrase that. A large majority of us tend to start feeling like we just got body slammed into a brick wall by a freight train. Anyone who spends any time at all around any group of people, especially during this time of the year, seems to eventually start feeling like they're getting a cold (or worse). Unless you have a literal hermit's life style, chances are, you're going to get at least a mild cold. So, why is that? Well, I have good news, and bad news. The bad news is...it's you. The good news? This is normal, and it too shall pass (even if it does pass like a Kidney stone).
On average, a person touches their face approximately 23 times per hour. When they do this, they transfer anything that was on their hands, to where ever they touch on their face. This includes germs, viruses, bacteria...etc.. We all learned about this type of transfer during the initial onset of the Covid pandemic. What may of us often forget is the fact that just because it may not be Covid, doesn't mean that it won't make you feel unwell.
When the weather changes from the warmer months, to the colder ones, people tend to stay indoors for longer periods of time. This too is normal, and necessary for anyone who is not keen on getting frostbite, or worse. However, it also means that things like germs, and bacteria, now have a lovely new, warmer, habitat to thrive in. Guess what? You just became an unwilling host to these lovely little things, especially your nose, mouth and eyes. Those beautiful facial features of yours are perfect entry points for the germs to get into your system, and start having their own house party that everyone will eventually be invited to, like it, or not!
Parents of school age children, teens and young adults, know this routine far too well, and are often very prepared for almost anything that their younger family members unintentionally bring home with them. This is also something that people who work in retail, warehouses, first response, and well..just about everyone that works outside of the home, is very familiar with. It's stock up on medicine, and tissue, season!
No, this does not mean that you need to stock up on enough cold supplies to turn your bathroom and/or kitchen into a pharmacy straight out of a Harry Potter book. It does mean, however, that it would be wise of you to start stocking up on some very basic supplies, especially if you have a pre-existing medical condition, that requires you to take prescription medication(s), and/or follow any type of a restricted dietary menu. When in doubt, always talk to your primary care physician about ways that you can be prepared for the cold/flu/everything season. This time of the year also means that you will need to be sure that you have plenty of warm clothing, an extra blanket (or three), and a nice warm jacket to wear when you absolutely have no choice but to leave your house. Oh, and remember that mask you always had to wear when the Covid pandemic was running nuts all over the planet? Yeah, wear that too. Believe it, or not, it does help you keep at least some germs, bacteria, and viruses at bay.
Remember when you were young, and your mom, grandmother, aunt or sister would tell you to always wear your hat, zip up your jacket, wear your gloves and keep your boots on...or else you were going to catch a cold? Good advice, but only partially true. The truth of the matter is that you could run naked through Alaska, and not get sick. You'd get hypothermia, frostbite, and potentially die from exposure to the elements. However, unless there was a virus floating through that air, you would not catch a cold. Furthermore, you do not 'catch a cold'. It 'catches you'! All that being said, the idea behind keeping yourself protected from the elements, in order to avoid getting sick does have some fact to it. See, we lose the bulk of our body heat through our extremities. This causes our body to work over time to keep its temperature regulated. When we don't wear gloves, we're still touching everything we have to with our bare hands, and what do we do when we go from a cold outside, to a warm inside? Right, we get runny noses, sneezes, coughs and watery eyes. So, what happens next? Exactly. We blow our nose, rub our eyes, cover our coughs, and sneezes annnd....there go the germs, right into our systems. The average incubation time for these germs to set up shop in your body is between 3 - 5 days....and once those germs are inside your body, there is nothing you can do but deal with it for about a week, or two.
Is there any way to prevent getting sick during the seasonal changes? Yes! You may not like what you're about to read, but... you can help prevent yourself from getting sick by wearing a mask, try not touching your face unless absolutely necessary, washing your hands in warm, soapy water frequently, and increase your intake of water (this helps keep the system flushed, and healthy). Yes, yes, I know there is an on-going debate regarding mask wearing, and yes, I'm fully aware that a mask may not be fashionable, or even socially acceptable in certain situations (let's face it, wearing a mask to a wedding, funeral or corporate meeting just is not something anyone wants to see, much less do). Still, masks work, especially when it comes to increasing the chances of you not getting sick. So, wear your hat. Keep the jacket zipped up. Wear the warm socks, and the thermal under garments. Drink the water, and take the vitamins. If all else fails, stay at home, have your chicken soup, enjoy some hot tea, and call it a day.
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