22 Oct How to beat a cold when kids go back to school
Back-to-school time usually comes hot (or rather cold) on the heels of the holiday season. Unfortunately, a new term often comes with a round of runny noses for children and adults alike, so it’s worth checking up on how to beat a cold before the new term starts.
A combination of factors make the back-to-school period the ideal time for viruses to spread:
- With the cooler weather beginning to set in, humidity levels drop and that creates conditions that cold viruses thrive in.
- Children are particularly susceptible to catching a cold as they don’t have fully matured immune systems.
- The school environment means that children and young people are in close proximity to one another so infections spread quickly.
But it’s not only the children who are prone to colds and infection, teachers, support staff and parents are all vulnerable to getting a cold too.
If you work in a school or with children in any capacity, you’re at a higher risk of contracting a cold virus than someone working in a different profession.
How to beat a cold
You don’t need to stay home to avoid a cold but there are some steps you can take to reduce your child’s or young person’s chances of catching one (no Hazmat suit required!).
Wash away germs
When you wash or cleanse your hands, the water starts to dilute the germs and soap will help remove them from your skin. Children aren’t known to be the most regular or thorough hand-washers. To make sure they can keep germs at bay, pop some hand sanitiser in your child’s school bag so they can keep their hands clean on the go.
Sharing isn’t always caring!
It’s best to avoid sharing cups and food with anyone who has a cold, double-dipping is a common way to spread germs. Teens may share lip balms or makeup, but these can very easily spread bacteria so it’s best to keep these kinds of products off-limits when sharing with friends.
Keep it healthy
A healthy diet, a consistent sleep routine and regular exercise will all help to keep the immune system functioning as best it can. Sneak some extra veg into favourites such as burgers, and choose raw veggies wherever possible. Youngsters tend to need more sleep than adults – particularly as they hit their teens.
Boost your immune system with a powerful herbal medicine
Echinacea, vitamin C and zinc are all shown to help boost the body’s immune system. HRI Coldcare combines a powerful blend of all three in easy to swallow vitamin and herbal tablets which can be taken by people over the age of 12.
How can you help relieve a cold once you have it?
No matter how hard you try, you can’t always avoid catching a cold. If you do find yourself under the weather, there are natural remedies you can try to help relieve symptoms and shake off a cold more quickly.
Ginger, honey and lemon
As well as being a delicious and soothing drink, it combines the antiseptic properties of lemon, anti-inflammatory qualities of ginger and honey’s antioxidants, to help speed up your recovery.
Drink plenty of water
It’s essential to get plenty of fluids to maintain your water balance. Your body needs at least 6-8 glasses per day to function properly, often more if you’re recovering from a virus.
Sleep it off
When your body is fighting an infection, you use up more energy. You need to ensure you get plenty of sleep to recharge your energy levels and give your body the time it needs to restore itself.
Try HRI Coldcare
HRI Coldcare’s powerful blend of echinacea, vitamin C and zinc, could help you reduce the duration of a cold and relieve the symptoms more quickly. It’s a natural and simple way to help boost the immune system beat a cold, and is suitable for anyone in the family over 12 years old.
HRI Coldcare vitamin and herbal tablets carry the THR (Traditional Herbal Registration) symbol to guarantee the highest standards of quality and safety in Europe, as approved by the government regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
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