Doctors DO catch colds by Dr. Jeff Smith, MDContray to what many people believe doctors and other medical professionals do get sick! As a matter of fact, I'm fighting a bad cold right now. And, yes, I have all the same miserable symptoms you do when you get a a cold. The sneezing, watery eyes, nose congestion (stuffed up), sore throat and low grade fever.
Yes, in spite of constant hand washing, I still caught a cold because some colds are air-born. While most colds are passed via hands that touch the eyes or nose, occasionally germs stick around in the air after someone infected with a cold sneezes or coughs, and, the cold can be caught in this manner.
As a doctor one question I am often asked is how do you know the difference between a cold and the flu. This simple chart should help you out a bit:
Cold and Flu Chart
| Symptom | Cold | Flu |
|---|---|---|
| Fever | Rarely above 100.5°F-101°F, and then only for a day or so | Characteristic, high (102°F-104°F); last 3-4 days |
| Headache | Generally mild | Prominent |
| General aches, pains | Slight | Usual; often severe |
| Fatigue, weakness | Quite mild | Can last up to 2-3 weeks |
| Extreme exhaustion | Never | Early and prominent |
| Stuffy nose | Common | Sometimes |
| Sneezing | Usual | Sometimes |
| Sore throat | Common | Sometimes |
| Chest discomfort, cough | Mild to moderate, hacking cough | Common; can become severe |
Source: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
When To See A Doctor
- Your symptoms get worse.
- Your symptoms last a long time.
- After you feel better, you develop signs of a more serious problem. These include:
- Sick-to-your-stomach feeling
- Vomiting
- High fever
- Shaking chills
- Chest pain
- Coughing with a thick, yellow-green mucus
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