Don’t get a cold in the first place! The common cold’s not a major risk to health but what an inconvenience it can be. The best cold treatment is preventative. A steam room can certainly help, as can a number of other things. Here’s a little bit of background on how you can stay healthy, regardless of what cold virus may be going around.
The common cold is spread through sneezing, coughing, and person-to-person contact. If an infected person touches a doorknob, for example, the virus can hang out there and catch on a new person. Not everyone exposed will end up developing symptoms or a common cold. Influences on whether a person gets a cold or not relies on if they already have immunity or if one’s immune system is already strong enough to fight it off. Considering a steam room strengthens the immune system, this may be one way to fight off the virus.
Unfortunately, a big risk to developing cold symptoms is not getting enough sleep. In the busy world we live in, who gets all the sleep they should – probably very few of us. This puts a lot of people at risk. Add to that anyone who is consuming highly refined or sugary foods, if they’re overworked and stressed, and who is nutrient deficient. If you’re exposed to small children, a demographic more likely to catch a cold, this can also be a risk factor. All of this plays into a likelihood of contracting a virus that manifests in this way.
How to prevent a common cold starts with ensuring you’re washing your hands regularly which limits opportunities to contract anything. Always use soap. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth throughout the day. Also, get lost of sleep, minimize stress, eat nutritious foods, and avoid refined foods that you know aren’t going to provide you much of anything in the form of strength. Your body needs what it needs so if you aren’t eating right and/or if stress levels are high, even a steam room for the common cold may not be able to do much.
Keep in mind that it is perfectly normal to contract a cold. In fact, the average adult will get 1-2 colds a year. If you are getting sick more frequently than this, you probably need to strengthen your immune system and get your body up to snuff. If you are already struggling with cold or flu symptoms, a steam room can be a great way to reduce congestion and give your body the chance to breathe. A high-heat steam room setting allows the moisture to soften the mucus clouding up your sinuses and can remedy, albeit temporarily, symptoms.
Additionally, over time, a steam room will strengthen the immune system. It also will provide a number of other health benefits, ultimately leaving you a healthier person, more capable of fighting off colds, flus, and illnesses. If you want to build muscle, you lift weights. If you want to develop more endurance, you run and do a lot of cardio. When you want a stronger immune system, strategies like a steam room work the same way. Every day, you’re building a healthier you! This is the power of steam rooms. Before long, you may notice yourself not getting so sick – just one of its many benefits.