The common cold, with its sneezing, coughing, sore throats, runny nose, and headaches can zap your energy and make life miserable for days on end. However, there are several easy, time-tested things you can do that will decrease the chance of you getting the cold or passing it along if you catch it:

Wash Your hands: The cold virus easily enters through eyes and nose, often carried there on your hands. Washing hands and not touching eyes and nose will decrease the chance of catching a cold.
Stop rubbing your Eyes and Nose The viruses (there are at least 200 different ones) that cause the common cold enter the body through nose and eyes. The quickest way to get infected is to touch a door and then rub your nose.
Cover Your Mouth: When coughing or sneezing, cover nose and mouth with elbows or arm. Coughing into hands and then touching doors and water faucets will spread cold virus.
Stay Home: If you feel sick, stay home. Your friends and your coworkers will appreciate it if you keep the cold out of the office and their homes.
Avoid Cold Sufferers: if possible, avoid being close to people who show cold symptoms, if possible.
Exercise: Research suggests people who exercise regularly get the cold less than people who exercise less.

Follow these simple steps will help reduce your chances of getting a cold.

Source: U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention ---

Story image: This 2009 photograph captured a sneeze in progress, revealing the plume of salivary droplets as they are expelled in a large cone-shaped array from this man`s open mouth, thereby dramatically illustrating the reason one needs to cover his/her mouth when coughing, or sneezing, in order to protect others from germ exposure. Courtesy: CDC Public Health Image Library ID 11162.

6 Ways to Prevent A Cold