The standard cold incubation period is 24 to 72 hours, which means you may start to develop cold symptoms anytime between one to three days after exposure. Common cold symptoms include a runny nose, congestion, coughing, headache, and sore throat. Although you may not experience all of these symptoms every time you get sick, if you have some of them without any other significant symptoms such as high fever, vomiting, etc.
If you have a sudden onset of symptoms that include fever, body aches, headache, and cough, you probably have the flu, not a cold. Although the symptoms may be similar, influenza the virus that causes the flu can be much more severe. The contagious period is different for the flu as well. Colds are most contagious two to four days after your symptoms first develop.
Most colds last for about a week, but it's possible to spread the virus long after that, as it can live in your body for up to three weeks. That means you could spread your germs and make others sick even after you feel better. Colds are spread through the air and on surfaces. When you are sick, coughing, sneezing and even breathing sends the virus into the air around you and onto every surface or person you touch.
The virus can live on surfaces for several hours, making it possible for others to pick up long after you've, say, left a room.
Since you can't stop coughing or breathing when you are sick, the only way to avoid spreading your cold is to try to stay away from as many people as possible.
Wash your hands frequently as well. Then, when you're feeling better, sanitize everything in your environment e. In today's fast-paced society, it is not uncommon to hear that people come into work instead of taking time to recover when they aren't feeling well—but you should do just the opposite. Not only will getting the rest you need help you get better, but staying away from others will prevent the spread of illness too.
If you simply can't avoid being around others when you have cold symptoms, make sure to cover your cough, and wash your hands before you touch someone else or prepare food. You should also take precautions and make an extra effort to stay away from those who may be more likely to get seriously ill from your virus.
Older adults, people with weakened immune systems due to chronic illness or cancer, and young infants can get so sick from cold viruses that they may need to be hospitalized. Cold symptoms usually start 2 or 3 days after a person has been exposed to the virus.
People with colds are most contagious for the first 3 or 4 days after the symptoms begin and can be contagious for up to 3 weeks. Although some colds can linger for as long as 2 weeks, most clear up within a week. Over-the-counter OTC cold medicines can't prevent a cold, but some people think these ease symptoms. They won't help you get better faster, though. And sometimes OTC cold medicines can cause stomach upset or make someone feel dizzy, tired, or unable to sleep.
If your nose feels really stuffy, try saline saltwater drops to help clear it. Ask your parents who can talk with a doctor or pharmacist what medicine you should take, if any.
Most doctors recommend acetaminophen for aches, pains, and fever. If you have a cold, you should not take aspirin or any medicine that contains aspirin , unless your doctor says it's OK. Use of aspirin by teens with colds or other viral illness may increase the risk of developing Reye syndrome, a rare but serious condition that can be fatal.
Your doctor can let you know if it's OK to take an antihistamine or decongestant, but there is little evidence that these really make a difference. Like all viruses, those that cause colds have to run their course.
Getting plenty of rest and drinking lots of fluids can do as much good as medicine as far as helping someone with a cold feel better. Whether you feel like sleeping around the clock or just taking things a bit easier, pay attention to what your body is telling you when you have a cold. A warm bath or heating pad can soothe aches and pains, and the steam from a hot shower can help you breathe more easily.
The length of time you're infectious will depend on the virus. Page last reviewed: 13 November Next review due: 13 November Home Common health questions Infections Back to Infections. How long is someone infectious after a viral infection?
The infectious period often begins before you start to feel unwell or notice a rash. Bronchitis The length of time that bronchitis is infectious varies, depending on its cause. Chickenpox Chickenpox is infectious from 2 days before the spots appear to until they have crusted over, usually 5 days after they first appeared. Common cold The common cold is infectious from a few days before your symptoms appear until all of the symptoms are gone. Flu Flu is usually most infectious from the day your symptoms start and for a further 3 to 7 days.
Children and people with lowered immune systems may be infectious for a few days longer. Really young kids can get nausea and vomiting with influenza, but there are always respiratory symptoms.
It is very contagious so oftentimes it will run through the whole family. Sporadic cases have been seen, but it is not really spreading dramatically in the U. It usually starts on the East Coast and moves West. Getting your flu shot now is ideal because you need two weeks to develop a full immune response.
It is the best way to protect yourself from getting the flu. But I get my flu shot every year, as do all the physicians at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance — we all know how important getting the vaccine is to protecting our families, our friends and our patients. In addition, we provide vaccine for patients and give it free to family members and caregivers when they come with patients to the clinic. A high-dose flu vaccine has been shown in studies to provide better protection for people 65 years and older.
I recommended it to my own parents — who both get vaccinated. The one down side is it only covers three strains of influenza while the normal vaccine covers four.
Future studies should help us better understand whether high-dose vaccine is beneficial for cancer patients. The flu mist, or live-attenuated flu vaccine, is a weakened form of the influenza virus that can be given through the nose.
It was thought to work well in kids, but recent data suggests that it may not provide enough immune response to some strains of influenza. The CDC does not recommend it as an option for vaccination this year. The only option is the flu shot. Can you get the flu from the flu vaccine? Absolutely not. Minor side effects can be a little aching or arm swelling, but it lasts a day or two at most.
As one of the most utilized vaccines in the world, it has one of best safety profiles of anything we do in healthcare. This has been well studied and there are no links. We need to move away from blaming vaccines for a very serious disorder when science has, again and again, shown this not to be the case. Unfortunately, many still believe this discredited link.
As for Guillain-Barre syndrome a rare neurologic illness , you are more likely to get it if you get the flu than if you get the vaccine.
Vaccines are well studied and very safe. I get mine every year and so does everyone in my family. Does drinking orange juice or taking vitamin C help prevent colds and flu? What about Airborne products or zinc? Is it vitamin C that provides the benefit or drinking lot of orange juice? Probably the liquids. Eating healthy foods and getting lots of rest are important, however.
I prefer that you never need medications — get the vaccine instead.
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