A family medicine physician shares simple, practical ways to stay healthier during cold and flu season and what to do if you start feeling sick.

Cold and flu season can increase the risk of respiratory illnesses, including the common cold, influenza (the flu), and COVID-19.

While there’s no guaranteed way to avoid getting sick, a few everyday habits may help lower your risk and reduce your chances of becoming seriously ill.

Dr. Aaron Block (MD, MPH, CPH, DABFM, MSCP), a family medicine physician and co-founder and CEO of The Cove Concierge Medicine in Castle Rock, Colorado, says prevention often comes down to practical measures, such as vaccination, cleaner indoor air, handwashing, and supporting your overall health.

Here are his top tips for staying healthy during the colder months.

One of the most effective ways to protect yourself during respiratory virus season is to combine several preventive strategies rather than relying on just one.

“We learned a few things during the COVID-19 pandemic that are still useful for every respiratory virus season. My short list: get the immunizations recommended for you, improve the air you share with other people, wash your hands, and stay home when you are sick. A well-fitting mask adds protection in crowded indoor spaces, particularly if you or someone close to you is at higher risk.”

— Dr. Aaron Block

  • Improve indoor air quality. Respiratory viruses can spread through particles released into the air when people breathe, talk, cough, or sneeze. Opening windows when practical or using an air cleaner may help reduce indoor exposure.
  • Wash your hands regularly. This is especially important after touching shared surfaces and before eating or touching your face. Dr. Block also recommends coughing or sneezing into a tissue or your elbow rather than your hands.
  • Stay home when you’re sick. Limiting close contact with others can help reduce the chance of spreading a respiratory infection.
  • Wear a well-fitting mask when it makes sense. Masks can add another layer of protection in crowded indoor spaces, particularly for people at higher risk of serious illness.
  • Stay up to date on recommended vaccines. Ask your clinician which flu, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and pneumococcal vaccines are recommended for you based on your age, health conditions, and vaccination history. Vaccines can help reduce the risk of serious illness, although no vaccine can guarantee that you will not become sick.

“Think of vaccination as a fire drill for your immune system: it gets to practice before the real alarm.”

— Dr. Aaron Block

You do not need a complicated wellness routine to support your immune system. Instead, focus on a few everyday habits you can realistically stick with, such as:

  • getting enough sleep
  • moving your body regularly
  • eating a variety of nutritious foods
  • finding ways to manage stress

Sleep

Sleep is a good place to start. In a 2026 study of 521 primary care patients, people with insomnia had roughly twice the odds of reporting an infection or flu-like illness at follow-up.

As Dr. Block explains, the study does not prove that better sleep will prevent illness, “but it gives us one more reason to take sleep seriously.”

Exercise

Staying active may help, too. Research suggests that people who are more physically active may have a lower risk of some infections.

You do not need an intense workout routine to benefit. The goal is to move regularly in a way that works for you.

Stress management

Stress can also affect how your body responds to illness. Research has linked long-term stress with a greater chance of infection and a weaker response to some vaccines.

Making time for rest, social support, or other stress-relieving activities may be one more way to support your overall health.

Nutrition

What you eat matters as well. Aim for a variety of foods that provide protein, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients your body needs.

“Protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other nutrient-rich foods provide the raw materials your immune system needs; deficiencies can interfere with normal immune function.”

— Dr. Aaron Block

The supplement aisle can be particularly tempting during cold and flu season, but more is not necessarily better.

“I would start with the least exciting answer: correct a real nutritional gap rather than buying a basket of products labeled ‘immune boosting,’” Dr. Block explains.

“No supplement replaces vaccination, sleep, or reducing exposure.”

— Dr. Aaron Block

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one example. Routine vitamin C supplementation does not appear to prevent colds in most people, although regular supplementation may modestly shorten the duration or reduce the severity of symptoms.

Dr. Block recommends focusing on getting enough vitamin C from foods such as citrus fruits, bell peppers, strawberries, broccoli, and tomatoes. A supplement may be appropriate if you are not getting enough through your diet.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D may be useful for people who are deficient, but Dr. Block says the evidence for taking it specifically to prevent respiratory infections is mixed.

“If deficiency is a concern, discuss testing or an appropriate dose with your clinician instead of assuming that more is better,” he says.

Because vitamin D is fat-soluble, excessive amounts can accumulate in the body and may be harmful.

Probitiocs

Probiotics have also been studied for the prevention of respiratory illness. Some research suggests they may reduce the incidence of certain upper respiratory infections, but results vary depending on the probiotic product and study.

One reason they may help is that the gut plays an important role in immune function, and supporting a healthy balance of gut bacteria may help your immune system respond to germs.

Eating a variety of fiber-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and nuts, can help support the beneficial bacteria that live in your gut.

Fermented foods, such as yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut, may also help support a healthy gut microbiome.

Zinc

Unlike some supplements marketed for preventing illness, zinc may have a role after cold symptoms begin.

Some research suggests that oral zinc, such as zinc lozenges, may shorten the length of a cold when started soon after symptoms appear. However, the evidence is not conclusive, and zinc can cause side effects such as nausea and an unpleasant taste.

Dr. Block notes that research has not identified one zinc product or dose that is guaranteed to work. Avoid zinc products used inside the nose, which have been linked with long-lasting or permanent loss of smell.

If you wake up with a scratchy throat, stuffy nose, cough, or body aches, you may not immediately know whether you have a cold, the flu, or COVID-19.

For most otherwise healthy adults with mild symptoms, the first steps are fairly simple.

Consider testing for flu or COVID-19

Testing can help you figure out what is causing your symptoms and whether a specific treatment may be available. This is particularly important if you are at higher risk of developing serious illness.

“Identify what you might have, especially if you are at higher risk of complications,” Dr. Block says.

“Flu antivirals work best when started within two days of symptoms, although treatment may still help some people who are very ill or at higher risk when started later. COVID-19 treatments for eligible people also have short start windows, generally within five to seven days, depending on the medication.”

Even if you are generally healthy, knowing whether you have the flu, COVID-19, or a cold can help you make decisions about work, socializing, and exercise.

Rest and drink plenty of fluids

For a typical viral illness, there usually is not a quick fix. Give your body time to recover, get plenty of sleep and rest, and drink enough fluids to stay hydrated.

“For an ordinary cold, rest, fluids, and symptom relief are the mainstays. Antibiotics do not treat a viral cold,” Dr. Block says.

Water, tea, broth, and other fluids can all help you stay hydrated. If you have a fever or are sweating more than usual, you may need to drink more than you typically would.

Treat the symptoms that are bothering you

Over-the-counter medications will not make a cold disappear, but they may make you more comfortable while you recover. Depending on your symptoms, options may include:

  • acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fever, headaches, or body aches
  • saline nasal spray for congestion
  • throat lozenges for a sore throat
  • honey to soothe a cough

A pharmacist or healthcare professional can help you choose an OTC medication, particularly if you take other medications or have an underlying health condition.

Seek medical care if you have:

  • trouble breathing
  • signs of severe dehydration
  • severe or worsening symptoms
  • symptoms that improve but then return or get worse

Some people may seem to catch every bug going around, but frequent illness does not necessarily mean their immune system is “weak.”

“Exposure is a huge part of the story. Living with children, working around many people, or caring for sick patients gives viruses more chances to find you.”

— Dr. Aaron Block

In other words, getting sick often may simply reflect how frequently you come into contact with viruses.

Other factors can affect how your body responds once you do get sick. Age, pregnancy, some chronic health conditions, and medications or treatments that suppress the immune system can increase the risk of more serious illness.

The most important thing to pay attention to is not just how often you get sick, but what those illnesses are like for you.

“If someone has unusually frequent, severe, or hard-to-clear infections, that deserves a conversation with their clinician rather than another bottle of supplements,” Dr. Block says.

If you regularly have infections that are unusually severe, last much longer than expected, or keep coming back, a healthcare professional can help determine whether there is an underlying reason.

Avoiding every cold, flu, or COVID-19 infection may not be realistic, but you can take steps to lower your risk and protect your health.

Staying current on recommended vaccines, improving indoor air, washing your hands, getting enough sleep, eating a varied diet, staying active, and giving yourself time to rest when you are sick can all be part of a practical prevention plan.

If symptoms do develop, identifying the illness early may also help you access treatments for the flu or COVID-19 within the window when they are most useful.