Lifestyle habits to prevent colds during winter

These days, as winter gets colder, there are many people around who catch colds. I am also one of them. When I catch a cold, my condition worsens and I feel drained. I would like to talk about prevention and management of colds.

Colds tend to occur especially when the weather suddenly gets colder, so many people seem to show cold symptoms during seasonal changes. In my case, I sweat a lot, so I often do outdoor walking exercises. When the weather suddenly turns cold, I caught a cold. I walk and run quickly in succession, and because I sweat a lot, I even sweat during winter. After sweating, I can't maintain my body temperature properly, and when the sweat dries, I feel cold. In this case, I inevitably catch a cold.

When you have cold symptoms, your throat initially feels sore and you get a runny nose. Especially in the early stages, it's important to manage the symptoms well to prevent them from worsening. I kept my throat warm, used a neck warmer at home, and since it was the weekend, I bought cold medicine at the pharmacy and took it together with Ssanghwa tea. I also brewed water with ginger and balloon flower root, which are said to be good for colds.

Colds are also related to immunity, so it is good to strengthen your immune system regularly. It is said that garlic helps boost immunity. A recent article reported that in a UK study, people who took garlic extract for 12 weeks had a 64% lower chance of catching a cold compared to those who did not, indicating a significant difference. To maximize the effect, it is recommended to cut or crush the garlic before eating. When garlic is cut or crushed, an enzyme called alliinase converts alliin into allicin. Heating garlic reduces allicin and water-soluble vitamins B and C.

And also, to keep the inside of the house clean and fresh, make sure to ventilate frequently and change the air. Even in winter, don't delay ventilation just because it's cold; ventilate regularly to prevent weakened immunity. Additionally, when going outside, if cold air and wind enter directly into the nose and mouth, it can easily lead to colds or respiratory illnesses, so it's best to wear a mask during winter. Certainly, during winter, the difference between wearing and not wearing a mask is quite noticeable.

I also recommend simple practices to prevent winter colds, such as wearing masks, ventilating your home, keeping your neck warm early on, managing your body, and when you can't visit a hospital, using medicine and Ssanghwa-tang from the pharmacy for prevention.