Preventing the common cold has everything to do with maintaining a healthy immune system. A healthy immune system makes our bodies stronger and less susceptible to a large number of the common cold viruses.

One of the easiest ways to prevent this particular bug from entering your body is by washing your hands before you touch any part of your face. The rhino virus, which is one of the most popular common cold viruses, can live on various surfaces for up to three hours. This means that a doorknob, a telephone, or a stair rail could have been infected with the cold virus several hours before you made contact with that particular surface. Washing your hands with water and soap kills the viruses instantly, so be sure to practice this healthy habit.

Some other important factors in cold prevention include proper nutrition, reduction in stress levels, and adequate amount of sleep. All of these factors, if not taken care of properly, can lead to a weakened immune system which can in turn lead to a common cold infection. So be sure that you get plenty of sleep and that you learn to control your stress levels. Several people ask whether certain people are more susceptible to the common cold virus. Well, the answer is yes. If a person is exposed to the virus frequently, for instance in a nursing home setting, he/she is more likely to develop the common cold. This is also why children in daycare are more likely to catch the cold bug. When one child has the cold virus, the bug will most definitely spread because children share their toys and generally spend half a day with one another. Children who attend daycare can have the common cold as many as twelve times in one year. Also people who are taking certain immune system weakening medications are more likely to catch the cold virus. Therefore, as you can see, it all comes down to clean hands and a strong immune system. With these two factors working with you, the common cold has little chance in entering your body.