Throughout the winter season, there are many chances for one to get sick or get under the weather.

The two main illnesses to go around this time of year are the common cold and the flu, and there are reasons for why in the winter season it is most likely to get sick.The reason behind why getting a cold or flu is more common during the winter season is because in this cold weather we all tend to stay inside to stay warm which makes it easy for germs to spread in small spaces, viruses spread easily in dry air and our immune system tends to slow down in the cold temperatures. 

The common cold is defined as an upper respiratory tract infection and the symptoms can vary from person to person, but a few symptoms are sore throat, cough, and nasal congestion. The common cold tends to last for a week or so. Here are a few things to keep in mind to prevent getting the common cold:getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, eating a healthy diet, avoiding people that are sick and washing your hands. 

The flu is categorized as an infection to the nose, throat and lungs and could be confused with the common cold. However, the symptoms are alike such as nasal congestion, sore throat and the different symptoms that can say that the flu is a fever and aching muscles. The flu lasts about one to two weeks and ways to prevent it are getting the flu shot, maintaining healthy habits, staying home if sick, knowing what the symptoms are, and the others are alike to prevent the common cold. 

Here at Lower Dauphin High School, most people have been sick and it has been spreading around. 

After asking an 11th grader, Seth Kazinski, what he does to prevent getting sick, he said, “ I bundle up and keep warm and take vitamin C drops.” 

Another 11th grader, Jacob Walsh, who has been sick the past couple of days, shared, “I have been recently dealing with symptoms that have kept me from my full potential. These symptoms include a fever, sore throat and stomach ache. In order to fight this, I have been restricting my diet and also drinking a lot of water to help with congestion.”