Symptoms & Causes

Why do you seem to get colds so often while your best friend stays well? And more importantly, how can you stay healthy this year? Get the lowdown on the all too common cold.

Cold Basics
1. What Is a Cold? Colds are caused by a tiny, living thing called a virus. But the misery cold viruses spread isn’t tiny -- some estimates say Americans have 1 billion colds a year.
2. What Caused Your Cold? Hundreds of viruses can cause the common cold -- rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, RSV, parainfluenza and more.
3. What Raises Your Risk for Colds? Your age and the company you keep are a big part of how likely you are to catch a cold. But no matter what your circumstances, there are things you can do to get the upper hand against germs.
How to Prevent Colds
1. Tips to Stay Cold-Free It's not hard to prevent a cold. You just need to learn and use some new behaviors and lifestyle habits, every day.
2. The Right Way to Wash Your Hands Frequent hand washing can be the most effective way to prevent colds. Here's how to do it right.
3. Boost Your Immune System Replacing bad health habits with good ones can help keep your immune system healthy.

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