Part One: Everything You Need to Know About Common Colds: From Prevention to What the Heck Should I Take to Feel Better?

Just as the weather is getting cooler, I am already starting to see some patients with colds and coughs. Tis the Season! ACHOOO! So, for that reason, I want to start a three part series on Everything You Need to Know About Common Colds: From Prevention to What the Heck Should I Take to Feel Better? This time we are going to focus on prevention.

First of all, I can’t say enough about hand hygiene. When COVID went into full effect, most people had a jolt of fear and realized that their hand washing skills were lacking. Keep up those habits! Every sink in your home should have soap for hand washing and a clean towel to dry your hands. Wash your hands when entering your home after being outside, wash after eating, before prepping food, after touching your face or below the waist, wash when soiled, etc. Wash often, and if no soap is available, friction is key. Also, I like to remind my kids, they are not clean until they are dry. 

As always, keeping our diet healthy—limited processed foods, high in plants—frequent, joyful movement, and restful sleep are also hugely supportive to our immune system and help keep cold and flu viruses away. Several of you have asked me about routine and new vaccines for flu, COVID and RSV recently. I continue to stand with the thousands of scientists and researchers, who make safe and effective vaccines, in recommending routine vaccinations. And, I like to remind everyone that many vaccines are not necessarily to keep ourselves from being sick, but to reduce the burden of illness in the community protecting those among us who are the most vulnerable. Face masks are still effective at preventing the transmission of airborne illness as is getting sufficient hydration. Keeping your upper airway moisturized helps to keep your mucus flowing and your membranes healthy. Cold air humidifiers, drinking plenty of fluids, and saline nasal rinses are super helpful this time of year especially here in our dry desert environment. 

Now, let’s talk about vitamins, minerals and supplements' role in the prevention of upper respiratory infections. Some of the main vitamin players are the ones that you are probably already familiar with: vitamins C and D. And, finally, probiotics (various strains including lactobacilli and Bifidobacterium) & zinc have been shown to help decrease your risk of getting a cold and to decrease the duration of symptoms once you get a viral infection. 

Next month, I will go over how to care for yourself and your loved ones when cold and cough viruses take hold, and warning signs for when you should call me so that I can help you take care of you and yours. 

– Autumn Stevenson, MD, IBCLC