Getting Thru the Cold and Flu

Up to 20% of Americans get the flu every year, and Americans suffer one billion colds. Children get colds and the flu more often than adults. Some kids get as many as 12 colds a year, while adults average 2 to 4. A cold and the flu are both caused by viruses, tiny infectious agents that can survive only by getting inside the cells of animals or humans. Learning more about the viruses that cause colds and the flu can help doctors figure out how to prevent and treat these illnesses. For most people, however, the most important thing to know is that viruses are to blame for both colds and the flu. This fact has very important implications for treating — and preventing — these illnesses. Because colds and flu are caused by viruses, antibiotics are ineffective as they work only on bacterial infections, not viral infections.

Here are the answers to six commonly asked questions about colds and the flu.

1. Why do colds and the flu increase in the winter?
   The reason has nothing to do with the temperature, at least not directly. Cold weather itself does not cause these illnesses, but people are more likely to stay indoors and spread germs to one another when it’s cold outside.
2. When should I stay home from work or keep my child home from school?
   It is important to stay home when you are most contagious. For colds, you are contagious the entire time you have symptoms, but you are most contagious right after you contract the cold, before you even have symptoms. For the flu, adults are most infectious from the day before symptoms start until about the fifth day of symptoms.
3. When should I see my doctor?
   If you experience complications such as high fever, shaking chills, chest pain with each breath, coughing that produces thick, yellow-green mucus, or if your symptoms do not go away as quickly as you would expect them to, see your doctor.
4. How can I avoid passing my cold or flu on to my family?
   There are many steps you can take to try to avoid spreading germs to the people around you. Always cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. Throw used tissues away immediately. Wash your hands often, especially after you sneeze, cough, or touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. Keep your distance from others — don’t kiss, hug, or stand so close to someone that saliva might get on them when you talk. Make sure someone is disinfecting household surfaces and items frequently, including children’s toys.
5. Is there any truth to the old saying, “Feed a cold; starve a fever”?
   No. When you have a cold or the flu, you should be sure to eat healthful foods and drink plenty of fluids, but there is no need to eat more or less than usual.
6. Is it okay to get a flu shot when I have a cold?
   Yes, you can get vaccinated when you have a cold as long as you are not feeling very sick and do not have a fever.

Reprinted from Cold and Flu – A 10-Minute Consult from Harvard Medical School, © 2007 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved.