Avoid the Summer Cold
Summer colds strike less often than winter ones, and tend to hit only between May and September in Phoenix. Just the same, nobody wants one.
 
Summer colds are caused by a different virus (enterovirus) than those to blame for winter colds (rhinovirus), says New York City-based internist Keri Peterson, MD, and they can cause stomach upset in addition to respiratory symptoms like sneezing, congestion, and fever.

Because summer colds can last for weeks, people frequently assume their prolonged symptoms are allergies instead of a pesky virus. Both conditions tend to cause post-nasal drip, a sore throat, headache, and congestion, according to GroupHealth, a Seattle-based health care system, but allergies don’t cause fever or muscle aches. For another clue, look at your eyes, says Dr. Peterson. The eyes of people with allergies tend to be puffy and bloodshot.
Moving between the warm outdoors and air-conditioned inside spaces can make people more vulnerable to sickness in summer, according to Ronald Eccles, director of the Common Cold Centre at the University of Cardiff in Wales. The chilling "lowers the defenses in the nose and throat by causing constriction of the blood vessels," he said. "If a virus is already present, this reduces our immunity.Experts commonly say it’s OK to exercise with mild cold symptoms—the physical activity may even boost your immune system. That's not true for the viruses that cause summer colds, Bruce Hirsch, MD, an infectious disease specialist at the North Shore-LIJ Health System in Manhasset, New York, told LiveScience.com. “Those who have been sedentary through the winter should gradually ease into physical activities because enterovirus is the only infection associated with strenuous exercise,” he said. “We go outdoors and exercise vigorously, maybe when we're not in great shape. That's when these enteroviruses like to show up."

People report that summer colds make them feel less well than their winter colds, with more severe symptoms. It can take up to two weeks to shake a summer cold, says Dr. Peterson. According to an article from McLane Children’s Scott & White Hospital in Temple, Texas, enteroviruses tend to be more resilient than other viruses and thrive in temperate climates, ideally suited to strike in warm, humid summers.

As with your winter cold, you can treat some of the symptoms with medicine, but you won’t feel fully better until the virus clears your system. Until that happens, Dr. Peterson recommends using lozenges or gargling with salt water for a sore throat; relieving stuffiness with a saline rinse or a decongestant; taking cough medication for coughing; and lowering temperature with a fever-reducer like acetaminophen. On top of all that, hydrate well, get plenty of sleep, and avoid strenuous activity.

There are many treatments for colds, summer or winter, but there is no cure, - no matter what the TV commercials tell you.  Better than trying to fight a cold is prevention.  Key to prevention is keeping your immune system high. The best way to do that is to keep your spirits high and take lots of vitamins and good food suppliments.  We highly recommend 3 - 4 thousand units of vitamin C each day and a capsule of elderberry extract.

Good luck and stay well.