One day, on your way to work, in the middle of your peaceful commute, someone sneezes. Naturally, what you will do is: A. Tell the person who sneezed, “bless you!” or B. look at the person, judge them, and move away and whisper “Ew! Germs!”

The moment you get to the office, the security guard greets you with a cheerful, “Good morning, Sir!”. As part of your daily routine, you give him a high five as you move your way towards your work station. A typical office day.

All of a sudden, another person sneezes and blows his nose. A few moments have passed and you heard someone coughing. You are now starting to wonder what is going on. Why all of a sudden everybody gets sick? In your quest to find for answers, you look at the window, squint your eyes, and you noticed something... the clouds are getting dark, then rain started falling.

And that’s your answer.

Is this the reason for this season? Cold wet season has always been associated with nasty respiratory infections. It is not just time for your fashion boots and jacket but it also comes with the flu season.

All of a sudden you see people one by one sneezing then coughing. A common cold and cough may lead to a sore throat. And for us in the workforce, regardless of our profession, our voice is very important to our daily grind.

Having a sore throat can be quite a burden and can affect our work performance.

5 ways to avoid getting sick during the rainy season

Let’s talk about prevention. We are not immortals who are immune to sickness. Always remember: There is no harm in being extra careful during rainy season. How will we be able to prevent sickness at a time that it is most viral? Follow theses tips:

• Keep yourself healthy. Eat a balanced diet. Take in food rich in Vitamins like vegetables and fruits. Since we were young, we were told by our elders to take our vitamins (they meant vitamin-C) so that we won’t get sick. Vitamin C has been associated with boosting the immune system.
• Drink lots of water.
• Keep yourself clean.
• Have enough sleep and rest.
• Always have your rain gear prepared. Make sure you have your rain gear with you at all times. You can never tell when exactly the rain will pour down. Always bring your raincoat and your waterproof shoes with you. Stay dry as much as you can!

Drinking lots of coffee during this weather is quite tempting. Just make sure that for every cup of coffee, you wash it down with two glasses of water. Your water intake should be greater than caffeine. Always hydrate! Hydrating your body helps it deal with things such as colds and the flu. Water also helps cleanse your body of germs and bacteria.

Taking a bath stabilizes the cold temperature you reach from the rain and shifts things back to your normal temperature. Taking a bath cleans you from all the toxic stuff that rain accumulates on its way down to you.

Getting at least eight hours of sleep can improve your immune function and help fight the common cold.

When having a sore throat

You did everything you can to avoid getting sick, unfortunately, you developed sore throat and still got caught by the flu. What will be your next steps?

Here are some home remedies you can do to lighten up the pain you are experiencing in your throat:

Warm liquids. Drinking warm tea can help ease the pain of your sore throat. As the throat is choked due to infection, warm liquids can help relax this area.

Soft diet. As much as possible, avoid eating meat. Since this is the cold season, a bowl of lugaw, champorado, etc. not just leaves a satisfied craving/appetite, but it also helps your stomach. Eating foods lighter on your stomach will be helpful. Along with this, foods which won't hurt while going down your throat will also be extremely useful.

Resist any temptation. Refrain from smoking, drinking caffeinated drinks, consuming oily and fried food. Consumption of processed food and liquids will end up harming your throat more than you think.

Other ways to care for your sore throat

Gargle.

If your conditions worsen, despite these helpful tips you can always go and consult your favorite doctor.