Have you or your kids ever gotten sick… in the summer? Contrary to what many believe, common colds aren’t something that happens just when it’s cold outside. In fact, it’s possible to get a cold at any time of the year. To understand why you might have gotten sick in the summertime, you need to understand how people get colds in the first place.
Generally speaking, you get colds from other people who are already sick or have a virus. When you touch a surface or breathe in the same air as someone with a cold, you can become sick as well because you have come in contact with the germs that transmit their illness. The temperature actually has very little impact on how colds are transmitted from one person to another. There are other factors that make you more susceptible to catching a cold virus such as excessive fatigue, emotional distress or allergies with nose or throat symptoms. More people get sick in the winter than the summer because people spend more time indoors with each other. This increases the overall likelihood that you will be in the same proximity as someone with a cold and catch a cold yourself.
So, if you get sick in the summertime, it’s possible that you simply spent some time indoors, near someone else who has a cold. To keep yourself from getting sick, follow the same prevention methods that you would in the wintertime:
- Eat healthy and exercise to keep your immune system strong.
- Wash your hands and use hand sanitizer.
- Wipe down surfaces as much as possible with a disinfectant.
- Finally, because it’s the summer- try to spend more time outside. Spending time outside instead of in an enclosed space is an ideal way to stay healthy all summer long.
If you have more questions about keeping away summer colds, contact your primary care physician.
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