Eight Common Ways You Can Make a Cold Worse

We’re still not out of the woods, in terms of this year’s cold and flu season. The average American gets two to three colds a year, with more than 200 different types of viruses responsible, according to the National Institutes of Health.

To make matters worse, many treatments, unhealthy habits, and activities can make the common cold worse, experts say. That can make a viral infection last longer or be more severe.

Here are eight things to avoid when you’re feeling under the weather.

Over treating your cold. Over-the-counter cold medications, like nasal sprays, can make you feel better temporarily, but their overuse can actually make you feel much worse in the long run.

If you use a nasal spray or drops for more than three or four days, it can make your nasal membranes swell up even further. Follow dosing instructions on the back of the medication and ask your doctor if you have any questions.

Stressing out. Did you know high levels of stress can wreak havoc on your immune system? The more stressed you are the longer your cold will linger.

Learn to take relaxing, deep breaths and consider other calming techniques like yoga or meditation to get you through cold and flu season. Mild to moderate exercise can also boost your immune system.

Smoking. Tobacco use makes cold symptoms, especially cough, much worse. When you have a cold, your lungs are already irritated and smoking only adds to it.

Experts advise: Put down the cigarettes if you have a cold and also try and stay away from secondhand smoke, which can also be irritating to your lungs.

Ignoring your body. When you have a cold it’s important to listen to what your body is telling you, especially if it’s saying you’re tired.

You really do need extra sleep when you have a cold and those added ZZZs can help you fight infection. Getting plenty of rest will help your body bounce back quickly from a cold.

Not staying well hydrated. Drinking plenty of fluids is key when you’re feeling sick. Hydration keeps your mucous membranes moist, which allows them to most effectively trap and flush out the virus that’s making you feel sick.

“By drinking fluids, you’re also flushing out the toxins and bad stuff that’s invading your body,” says Dr. Taneja-Uppal, an infectious disease specialist in New York City.

Antibiotic overuse. Viruses — the primary cause of colds and the flu — don’t respond to antibiotics and you don’t need them unless your cold is bacterial in nature.

If you take too many antibiotics over the course of your lifetime, you also increase the likelihood of resistant bacteria. That means the next time you need an antibiotic for an infection, it might not do the trick.

If you have the common cold, your best bet is to simply wait it out and let it run its course. Stick to over-the-counter medications to ease symptoms and forget the antibiotics.

Spreading your germs around. It can take two to three days after being exposed to a cold virus for you to have symptoms of infection. That’s why it’s so important to cover your mouth when you sneeze and wash your hands frequently to prevent the spread of germs.

Otherwise, you may have colds and viruses that start boomeranging around your home or office and seem impossible to shake.

Pretending you’re not sick. It’s easy to want to ignore or downplay nagging cold symptoms, but the sooner you recognize you’re sick the sooner you can recover from a cold.

“The most common mistake people make is to not slow down and take care of themselves when they have a cold,” says Taneja-Uppal.

If you overexert yourself when you have a cold, it will only take you longer to get better.