Fighting off winter colds

Here's how to fight off winter colds

St. Joseph's/Candler Primary Care Physician Dr. Anna Spelts explains how small, simple habits can help ward off winter colds

In January, we start the new year wondering about the possibilities ahead. But as the kids go back to school and we go back to work, one thing is inevitable—someone’s going to catch a cold.

With chilly temperatures keeping people inside and in close quarters, viruses and bacteria spread easily in the winter months. In theory, you could protect yourself by disinfecting every shared doorknob, grocery cart handle, or elevator button that you come across. But that way of life doesn’t often match reality.

“Having an expectation of every surface being clean at all times is going to cause you anxiety, and you’re going to miss out on life,” says Anna F. Spelts, MD, of St. Joseph’s/Candler Primary Care in Richmond Hill. “There is a nice balance you can achieve with some small modifications.”

The most effective and accessible tool we have is also the oldest: hand hygiene.

“The best thing you can do is wash your hands,” Dr. Spelts says. “Your hands go a lot of places in a day, from the gas station pump to your steering wheel to your coffee cup and so on. So that is when being vigilant can pay off.”

Washing your hands, or keeping a small bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitizer easily accessible throughout your day, can break the critical chain of transmission of germs from your hands to areas like your eyes, nose, or mouth, where they can enter your body.

“If you can get into the habit of handwashing at the right moments each day—such as after using the restroom, before eating, and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose—it will have a big impact,” Dr. Spelts says. “And I encourage people to always have some sanitizer in their car. Little things like that will help you stay healthy without having to give up your life.”