Shaking Off that Nasty Cold

Here are some ways to prevent that dreaded cold that strikes without warning throughout the year.

“Colds can happen throughout the year,” said Alan Mensch, MD, senior vice president of medical affairs at Plainview and Syosset hospitals. “Very often there’s a spike in the fall when kids return to school. Generally in the winter, there are more colds than at other times of the year, but they can happen throughout the year.”

Children seem to get more colds than adults because their immune systems have not built more of a resistance to the disease, Dr. Mensch said. There are two ways that people can catch colds.

“They can be spread through aerosols, so someone coughs and the virus particles are in the air and someone breathes them in,” Dr. Mensch said. “So when someone coughs, it’s important to cover their mouth and when people sneeze, they should cover their noses. The other way colds can be spread is through particles that settle on surfaces. People will touch and then usually their hands will go to their eyes or another part of their body, and that’s the way colds are spread.”

The best way to prevent a cold is to consistently and thoroughly wash your hands, Dr. Mensch said. He recommends treating a cold with plenty of rest, older antihistamines – such as Benadryl and chlortrimeton -- and possibly cough medications.

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