Hey Fort Collins 5 Really Cool, Bet-You-Didn’t-Think-of-That Ways To Avoid a Summer Cold

When you think about summer colds you can almost feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up-- nobody likes to catch a summer cold. Here's the top 5 really cools ways to avoid a summer cold.

Summertime should be about water slides, backyard cookouts and fun times. Summertime should not be about tissues, sneezing and resting in bed. Try on some of these crazy real ideas to avoid a summer cold.

TOP 5 WAYS TO AVOID A SUMMER COLD

• Limit Air-Conditioning Time: So it's a million degrees out and despite complaining about the cold for months, all you want to do is get out of the heat and into the AC. You aren't alone, but keep in mind the AC can make a summer cold a reality. It will dry out your nose, and the whole reason or a real important reason for the mucus and hairs in our noses is to keep infection away. Yep, it's basic math: if you take away the mucus you basically are inviting in a summer cold. If you're like everyone else and are in the AC constantly at work and home, remember to wash, wash, wash your hands!
• Poolside can be Germ(side): Yes, the chlorine will take care of the really down and dirty germs, but what about the lounge time? The hanging out with friends poolside and sharing towels, touching hands as you pass drinks or snacks, or need a little help with your sunscreen. Most often a cold is going to be passed from hand-to-hand contact or hand-to-eye kind of stuff, but don't forget about the damp towel you keep picking up, the towel that has been sitting in the sun and growing bacteria. Remedy: get your own drinks and snacks. And your towel is only for you.
• Sharing Food: you don't have to be poolside to share food, and remember what we know about the cold... it likes to travel from person to person and one of the greatest commutes for a cold is through your hands. Basically every time you touch something or someone you are opening yourself up to a summer cold. Go back to the beginning and remember to wash, wash, wash your hands! (one more warning about food sharing... skip the bag of chips that everyone has stuck their hand in)
• Vacation or Summer Travel: What a cornucopia of germ fun! If you're flying it is said that the airplane restroom is one of the most unsanitary places on your vacation. Buses, cars and trains have their own issues; remember, if you had to touch it someone else likely had to touch it too.  Think doorknobs, armchairs, etc... again we go back to wash, wash, wash and sanitize!
• Public Restrooms: Do we really need to cover this? Just make sure that water and soap are the only things touching your hands. To accomplish this, grab a paper towel and after using the facilities, turn on and off the faucet and to open the door. This is a germ's best friend, the public restroom, so be careful and aware of what you are touching

Here's to a healthy summer vacation free of a summer cold!