How to Identify and Help Prevent a Cold

The common cold is an infection that can be caused by more than 200 types of virus.The well-known symptoms that accompany a cold include runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, and coughing.

In the simplest explanation, viruses cause colds. Virus-related germs enter through the nose, mouth, or breaks in the skin. Once the virus is inside your body, it finds a host cell to infect. One of the most common symptoms people experience during a cold is a runny nose. That’s because mucous glands go into overdrive to trap viral intruders and wash the germs away from the nose and sinuses. Once this happens, the immune system is better prepared to fight back.

Colds are highly contagious; therefore, frequent hand washing is one of the best defenses against getting or spreading the common cold. Although Safeguard with GermShield+ protects against 3 of 4 disease-causing germs for up to 12 hours after hand washing, no antibacterial soap protects against virus-related germs after the point of initial hand washing. Eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated, and trying to get lots of rest during cold season can also help protect against colds.