If you are looking for the best way to avoid the common cold, you just need to wash your hands on a regular basis! The main way that a cold gets passed around is when a sick person coughs or sneezes, which leaves tiny droplets on doorknobs, computer keyboards and other commonly used items. If you happen to come along and touch that spot, you might touch your nose or mouth without realizing it and suddenly you are infected! Read on how washing your hands can help you avoid this problem and prevent the common cold:
1. Reasons Why Handwashing Works
There are a number of infectious diseases that can be spread from one person to another by contaminated hands, including gastrointestinal and respiratory infections. Some forms of these infections can cause serious complications, especially for young children, elderly people and those with a weakened immune system. When you wash your hands properly, this can help prevent the spread of the germs that cause these diseases. Many of the viruses that cause colds can live on surfaces for hours, so regular hand washing is the best way to keep them from getting inside your body! If you happen to be the person that is sick, if you wash your hands frequently this can help from spreading the germs.
2. Best Way to Wash Your Hands for Cold Prevention
While it may seem silly to read about how to wash your hands, the truth is that most of us are too busy to wash our hands properly each time! After wetting your hands with water and adding soap, rub them together vigorously for 20 seconds. The soap is important because it removes many more disease causing organisms than just washing with water. Be sure to rub all areas of your hands, including between your fingers and under your nails. At that point, rinse your hands thoroughly and dry them with an air dryer or clean paper towel. If you are using a public restroom, you should turn off the faucet with a paper towel and push the door open with another paper tower or your shoulder.
3. When You Should Wash Your Hands
You should wash your hands frequently throughout the day to prevent the common cold as you are constantly touching objects and surfaces. The most important times are before and after you eat, after using the bathroom and after handling any unwashed vegetables, raw meat or garbage. You should also wash your hands immediately after blowing your nose, sneezing, coughing or touching your pet. If there isn’t a sink available, you should keep an alcohol-based sanitizer that is at least 60 percent alcohol. Rub the entire surface of your hands, fingers and wrists with the sanitizer until your hands are dry. You should use the sanitizer often throughout the day when you are not near a bathroom.
We hope that this guide to washing your hands helps you to avoid the common cold and stay healthy! At Mac’s Pharmacy, we are dedicated to improving your health and well-being, so learn more about how we can assist you with all of your pharmaceutical needs!
