How to keep that cold at bay?
 
It's winter and as you have probably noticed, germs are everywhere — runny noses, sore throats, nothing quite like the common cold to make you feel miserable¹.

But experts believe that there is no link between cold weather and catching² colds. So why are we particularly vulnerable this season?

Internal Medicine expert, Dr Meenakshi Jain of Max Hospital says, "One reason could be because people are likely to stay indoors, so the virus can spread easily. Also the virus thrives in humidity."

The common cold is a viral infection that can be caused by any of up to 250 strains of virus, the most common group of which are the rhinoviruses that hit the nose.

They are responsible for anywhere between a third and half of all common colds.

"They are transmitted through the nose and respiratory passages, by touch, and by contact with airborne particles that are created by sneezing or coughing," says Dr Jain.

There is no cure for the common cold and antibiotics³ are of no help. However, there are some precautions which can help:

Wash your hands regularly, so that germs get killed.

Don't touch your eyes, nose and mouth, which can limit your chances of infection.

Don't share drinking glasses or utensils⁴ with anyone as this will prevent the spread of the virus.

Drink lots of fluids to avoid dehydration⁵.

Make sure to eat enough fruits to boost your immune system.

Get enough sleep and you'll certainly become stronger.

你可能已经注意到：冬季一到，病菌无孔不入、无处不在——流鼻涕、嗓子疼……没有什么比普通感冒更让人难受。

但专家们认为，寒冷的天气并不是导致感冒的原因。那为什么冬季我们更容易生病呢？

麦克斯医院的内科专家米纳克什•杰恩博士说：“其中一个原因可能是，冬季人们多在室内活动，因此病毒容易传播。而且病毒在潮湿的环境中繁殖较快。”

普通感冒是一种病毒感染性疾病，可由250种病毒引起，其中最常见的一类是鼻病毒。

三分之一至一半的普通感冒都由鼻病毒引起。

杰恩博士说：“鼻病毒主要通过触摸以及打喷嚏或咳嗽产生的空气飞沫传播，经由鼻腔和呼吸道进入体内。”

普通感冒没有治愈的方法，抗菌药物也没什么效果。而以下一些措施则能起到预防感冒的作用：

勤洗手，杀死细菌。

勿摸眼睛、鼻子和嘴巴，降低被感染几率。

勿与别人共用水杯或餐具，以防病毒蔓延。

多补充水份，防止脱水。

多吃水果，增强身体免疫力。

保证充足的睡眠，增强体质。

Vocabulary:

runny nose:流鼻涕

respiratory passage:呼吸道