Colds, Flu and Pneumonia - How long it takes for each to develop and when to seek medical help

	Cold	Flu	Pneumonia
What are the symptoms?	Sore throat; runny nose; nasal congestion; watery eyes; and sneezing are the most common symptoms. Some people may also experience a cough and mild fatigue and body aches	Fever, often high and lasting 3-4 days; headache; body aches; severe fatigue lasting up to 2 or 3 weeks; cough, (usually a dry cough) are the most common symptoms. Some people may also experience a runny nose, congestion or sore throat	Persistent dry cough or productive cough, fever and chills, difficulty breathing, chest pain, headache
How long does it take from the time of infection until symptoms begin?	1 - 3 days	1 - 3 days	1 - 3 days
How long does it last?	3 - 7 days	1 - 2 weeks	Pneumonia can be caused by a virus or bacteria. The duration of the illness will depend on the germ.
How long are people infectious (able to spread the disease)?	Varies from 2 days to 3 weeks	Up to 7 days from the start of symptoms	This is not known for sure, although the theory is that communicability may end within 24 hours of beginning antibiotic treatment.
How is it treated?	Colds are caused by a virus, usually a rhinovirus; antibiotics will not help anyone recover from a cold. We all know this, but, there really is no cure for the cold. The best treatment is to get plenty of rest and drink a lot of liquids. Over-the-counter cough and cold products may offer temporary relief of some of the symptoms.	Flu is caused by a virus; antibiotics will not help anyone recover from the flu. There are anti-viral medicines available that may help reduce the severity and duration of the flu, but only if started within 48 hours of the start of symptoms. Other treatment includes getting plenty of rest and drinking a lot of liquids. Aspirin or acetaminophen will help reduce fever and muscle aches. Children with the flu should NOT take aspirin.	People with bacterial pneumonia can be treated with antibiotics. People with viral pneumonia usually get well with supportive care (plenty of fluids, rest, good nutrition). Severe viral pneumonia is treated with antiviral medicines. See the doctor if a productive cough or a cough with fever lasts longer than 3 weeks.
What causes it?	Colds are caused by any one of hundreds of different viruses. The virus is spread through respiratory drops when a person coughs or sneezes. The large number of viruses that can cause a cold is one reason that a vaccine has not/cannot be developed at this time	Influenza is caused by a virus. The virus is spread through respiratory drops when a person coughs or sneezes. There are different types of flu viruses, but the most common are Type A and Type B. There are various strains of each which are usually named after the area where they were first identified. Each year they can change, so that is why people need to get the vaccine each year.	Most pneumonia infections are caused by exposure to a common bacteria or virus. People with weakened immune systems are more likely to catch pneumonia.
What can people do to avoid these "bugs"?	WASH YOUR HANDS!Frequent hand washing is the best defense against cold viruses. Avoiding crowds, and limiting contact with people who are coughing or sneezing will also help to reduce the chance of getting a cold	GET A FLU SHOT!* The shot can't cause the flu. The worst case is that in a very few cases, a person's arm may be a little sore for a few days or, even less likely, the person may feel weak or have a slight fever for a couple of days. Avoiding crowds and frequent hand washing will also help to reduce the risk of getting the flu.	PEOPLE AT HIGH RISK SHOULD GET A PNEUMONIA VACCINE!Those at high risk include: people over 65 people with chronic respiratory, cardiovascular or liver diseases residents of nursing homes or other long term care facilities anyone who is immune compromised anyone with diabetes premature babies anyone with sickle cell disease

* If you are allergic to eggs, pregnant or have a chronic disease, check with your physician before getting a flu shot.

Source: South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

Thanksgiving, Ice Fishing and a Sneeze

Thanksgiving, Ice Fishing and a Sneeze by Mike Zuczek

I was never ice fishing before in my life but, when I got involved with a women from Minnesota and she invited me home for Thanksgiving a few years ago, I began reading about it since I knew this was something both her Father and brothers enjoyed doing. I wanted to show the family I am joiner - a man's man. I bought all the equipment and was ready to meet the family and try this new sport.

We arrived in my girlfriend's hometown, and, it seems everyone really does know everyone else in these small towns. I found it refreshing and welcoming.

After all the meet and greets I was feeling a bit run down. I figured it was the traveling and stress of meeting her family. Without warning my girlfriend let out a huge sneeze and announced "I have a cold." I stopped in my tracks and looked her in the eye and said "you sneezed once, how could you possibly have a cold."

Her reply was "I only sneeze when I am getting a cold or have a cold." I looked at her in disbelief, and, honestly began questioning what I saw in this girl. I wasn't about to get serious with a hypochondriac! However, I promised I wasn't going to ruin the Holiday weekend for me or her.

We walked into her house and were warmly greeted by her parents and siblings. I was shown my room and got myself settled in. As I came down the stairs I heard my girlfriend sneeze again and her Mother said "Honey why didn't you say you had a cold?" I stood there for just a second. Could it be this family didn't have any idea what a cold was all about? All she did was sneeze twice. She wasn't feverish. She wasn't congested. She didn't have a sore throat. Now I was worried about spending an entire 4-day weekend with these people.

Not one more sneeze occurred that evening or the next. The morning after Thanksgiving, as expected, I was invited ice fishing. It went fairly well but, I didn't come home with anything... Well, no fish at least...but, I did manage to catch a cold. From my girlfriend? Unlikely but who knows at this point.

That night I didn't feel well at all, my throat throbbed, my head pounded, I was getting stuffed up. I knew I was catching cold and was going to explain to my girlfriend that this is a cold and what she did was considered a sneeze. I got into an arguement with her and her entire family who insisted that my girlfriend had a cold.

The next morning I woke sick as a dog and HAD to get my flight home. My girlfriend tried to make up with me and said "Ah poor baby, you caught my cold" and a fight broke out on the flight. By the time we landed we had broken up - over a cold mind you. We said our farewell at the baggage claim at the airport and the next morning I got a call from her - she sounded terrible. She had finally caught a real cold. Another argument ensued and I simply hung up - strangely satisfied that this girl who never had a real cold in her life finally felt the misery the rest of us feel when we get a cold.

I didn't give her much thought until I ran across this site asking for stories about catching colds. I'm not sure if this is going to get picked to be posted but, I thought I'd give it a try. It's weird how some people have really never had a cold in their life, and, while I don't wish a cold on anyone please don't sneeze and call it a cold!

A Guide To Colds And Whether You Should Stay Home

While this blog is mainly about the lighter side of colds, it is also to provide information. Today's entry is about determining if you are too sick to go to work or school.

Credit: (WebMD) The alarm's buzzing ... but something's not right. You're sniffly, sneezy ... queasy. You have a common cold. Or is it something worse? Should you drag yourself to work? Or spend the day in front of the tube?

"Presenteeism" — going to work when you're sick — is as contagious as the flu. Millions of Americans are doing it. By one estimate, upwards of 75 percent head to work with the common cold or other problems.

Sure, sick employees keep the computer warm. But research shows that people sick with the common cold are not very productive. In fact, their lost productivity accounts for up to 60 percent of employer health costs — more than if they'd taken a sick day.


So you wake up with a common cold or some other ailment that's getting you down. What should you do?

To help you decide, Sharon Horesh, MD, instructor of clinical medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, gives her advice.

Just keep this in mind: "There's no antibiotic that can get rid of the common cold or flu or stomach virus," Horesh tells WebMD. "That's my pet peeve ... antibiotics only work with a bacterial infection ... bacterial bronchitis, pneumonia, strep throat, earache, pink eye."

Also, be careful about which medications you take for the common cold, says Nathan Segall, MD, a private practice allergy specialist in Atlanta.

The overwhelming majority reach for over-the-counter antihistamines, he says. But beware: Even if it's a so-called "non-sedating antihistamine" it could cause sleepiness and mental fogging, says Segall. "Some individuals will be more likely to have these side effects than others will."

That turns into a double-whammy: The common cold itself will affect your ability to concentrate because of clogged nasal passages and headache. Add a bit of drowsiness (whether it's from the pills or from difficulty sleeping). Pretty soon, you're making mistakes at the keyboard, barking at co-workers, generally feeling miserable. Even if it's just the common cold, maybe you should have called in sick.

To keep it from happening again, here's a checklist of symptoms that help you determine if you have a common cold or something else:


Sniffling

• If you are sniffling — but not achy, not feverish — it's probably allergies. Get to work!
  
  
• Sniffling, achy, tired, fever? You're coming down with the common cold or the flu. You are contagious in those first days. You are miserable, face it. You're not going to get much done at work. Also, you will recover quicker from the common cold or flu if you get some rest, says Horesh.

Chills, Sweats

• If your clothes are getting drenched, you likely have a fever. (A warm forehead is a very low-grade fever or nothing at all.) When you have a fever, stay home — you're contagious! It's likely flu or, yes, the common cold. Drink fluids. Stay away from work until you feel better, Horesh advises.
  
  
• If you have a fever plus white patches on your tonsils (say "ah"), it may be strep throat. It's highly contagious. You may need an antibiotic. See a doctor!

Coughing

• If it's a tickle in the throat or it feels like postnasal drip, the cough is probably from allergies or the common cold. Unless you've got other common cold symptoms, such as aches or fever, get to work!
  
  
• If the cough feels deep, makes you short of breath, and brings up green mucus, it's likely more than the common cold — perhaps bronchitis or pneumonia, according to Horesh. See a doctor!

Earache

• If your ear really hurts, if you can't hear well, you may have an ear infection. That's not contagious. Congestion from a common cold can also leave your ear in pain. You need to see a doctor to see which it is. You may need an antibiotic. Ear infections usually don't go away on their own, she says.

Pinkeye

• If your eyes are bright red, if there's creamy white stuff in the corners, if your eyelashes are getting matted, that's likely pinkeye, which is highly contagious. Don't go to work. See a doctor for an antibiotic. It's another infection that needs antibiotic help, Horesh tells WebMD.

Sinus Pain

• Pain around the eyes, top of the forehead, the cheekbones, even the top of your teeth are signs of a sinus infection, but it could be a common cold. Call in sick and see a doctor to see if you need an antibiotic. Next day, you'll likely be able to get yourself to work since sinus infections aren't typically contagious, Horesh advises.

Tummy Problems

• A stomach virus — nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhea, aches, low-grade fever — can lay you low for several days. For 24-48 hours, you'll be absolutely miserable. It can take up to five days to recover. Drink lots of fluids, especially water, so you don't get dehydrated, says Horesh.
  
  
• For the first day or two, fluids and soup should be your diet. Then it's soft solids like mashed potatoes, applesauce, Jell-O, toast, and bananas. Slowly get into solid foods like meat. If you eat solid food too early, it just upsets your stomach more.
  
  
• With food poisoning, vomiting and diarrhea usually occur six to 12 hours after you eat. The time frame is helpful for distinguishing it from a stomach virus. With food poisoning, once you vomit, you feel better.
  
  
• Rule of Thumb: If you can hold down food, you can go into work.

Sprains/Strains

• Go to work if you sit at a computer all day. But if you're on your feet, you will have more swelling, so wait until you can walk with little discomfort. An Ace bandage will give support to an ankle so you won't re-injure it, Horesh advises. Anti-inflammatory pain relievers help most people, even if they're not in a lot of pain, because they reduce swelling; take it with food so your stomach isn't irritated.
  
  
• An ice pack is a good way to reduce swelling without risking stomach problems.

Headaches/Migraines

• Though headaches can be caused by things like the common cold, if you can't tolerate noise or light, you likely have a migraine and shouldn't be at work, says Horesh. If you haven't seen a doctor for your migraines, make an appointment. There's no point in suffering with them. There are drugs you can take for migraines that start working within the hour and shorten the migraine's duration.

Poison Ivy

• This shouldn't keep you at home (unless your eyes are swollen shut). If the rash is still oozing, it's still very contagious. Wear clothes that cover it. Wash your hands frequently. If the rash is on your hands, avoid handshakes, she says.
  
  
• If you share any office equipment — keyboard, phone — make sure it's washed after you use it. Of course, that advice holds for any infectious illness, whether it's poison ivy or the common cold, Horesh tells WebMD.

SOURCES: Sharon Horesh, MD, instructor of clinical medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta. Nathan Segall, MD, allergy specialist, Atlanta.

By Jeanie Lerche Davis
Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD
© 2004, WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.

The Dream Machine, the Mayor and how the Town Caught Cold

I'm a car buff and my dream machine was a 1959 Cadillac Convertible. It took me five years of looking to find the right car, being a mechanic, I wanted a fixer upper project that I could customize to my own taste. When I first laid eyes on her she was a pathetic sight. Most people would have put her in the junk yard and put her out of her misery, but, for me, there was something about that car, I had to have her.

The flatbed brought her home and I put her in my garage and my wife just looked at me disgusted. She knew once again she would become a "garage widow". I live in Michigan and our winters can be mighty long and cold and this car was the perfect project.

A few weeks after I got the car, I got the most unexpected phone call. The mayor wanted to know if the town could "borrow" the car for our annual winter carnival. I extended my deepest apologies and explained there was no way I would ever have it ready for THIS year. Well, being a politician the mayor then said "well can I commit you to next year?" and I chimed in and said "yes of course" and proudly announced to my wife that I was now working on the car for the mayor. She wasn't impressed.

From that minute forward nothing went right. My normally warm, heated garage conked out on me and I had to bundle up like the Michelin man. Of course, that made it impossible to work so I took off a lot of the heavy clothing which of course lowered my resistance and my immune system. Every time one of the kids came home sick, I caught whatever they had, only worse. I was never so glad to see a Spring arrive in my life.

Finally, in June, I had my sweet ride nearly perfect. The only thing that remained was fixing the convertible top. It wasn't just a matter of getting a new top for the car, it had serious mechanical issued that needed to be rendered. For now the car top remained in the "down" position. And, I proudly drove her around town in good weather, and, even my wife was proud of me and that car at this point.

I patiently waited for parts to arrive to fix the convertible roof, but, when we got to October, I began getting nervous. Even though our winter carnival wasn't until December, I wanted to have the car 100% ready to go as soon as possible. By the time November came along, I was almost in a panic. And, then finally, a week before winter Carnival the parts came, the roof worked perfectly, and, I was a happy man.

The night before the winter carnival, I washed the car and waxed her up. No machine could look finer. I proudly went inside, but, couldn't sleep that night because I was so excited.

I was up at 7AM start and drove the car over to the high school which was the beginning of the parade route which kicked off the winter carnival. It was a gray day, nothing unusual for winter in Michigan, and, a bit cold, I waited for the mayor. He arrived soon after and remarked how beautiful the car looked and slapped me on the back for a job well done.

The mayor proceeded to ask me to put the top down so he and his wife could be seen. And, of course, I had the honor of driving them. It doesn't get more honorary than this in small town America!

As we waited for the kick off of the parade, the clouds grew meaner looking and began looking threatening. I was a bit concerned that we'd make through the parade. We started at 10AM on the button and we were off. About 20 minutes later, I swore I felt a drop of rain. Within 10 minutes of that drop it was drizzling - just enough to make it miserable, but, not enough to send most folks home. Not long after the mayor's wife let out a sneeze and asked if we couldn't put the top up. The mayor insisted "no" - it was an election year coming up and he wanted to be seen. The mayor's wife sneezed a few more times and insisted he put the top up. He started to grow angry and said no and that rain and cold weather didn't cause colds - germs caused colds he said with great force. Then the mayor let out a mighty sneeze himself. And the mayor's wife just looked at him as if to say "see"...

What both the mayor and his wife failed to remember was just a few nights before they attended a fund raiser at a local restaurant, and, the host of the evening had a cold as did several other people in the room. Being a politician, hand shaking is going to lead to shaking hands covered in cold germs. But, I digress.

We finished the parade, and, headed off to the party tent to celebrate the opening of the winter carnival. All three of us were soaking wet but we went anyhow. They had heaters in the tent and at first they were welcoming to our cold souls, but, after an hour, it was almost unbearably hot. The mayor insisted that my wife and I spend the time with him and he proudly introduced me as the man that drove him that day. In the meantime, the mayor's wife was sneezing and it was pretty oblivious she was getting a cold but he seemed oblivious to her misery. She pressed on and smiled and shook hands with all that wanted to do so.

It was no surprise to learn the next morning the mayor's wife woke up with a horrible cold. A few days later the mayor had and so did I and so did half the town. And that's the story of the dream machine, the mayor, and, how the town caught cold.

Staking on thin ice gave me a cold

Thin Ice by Adam Johnson

I was always a bit of dare-devil when I was a kid. I'd climb trees, chase snakes, jumped off the garage roof with a homemade parachute...you get the idea. I live in Northern Maine and it gets cold early up our way, and, most kids (myself included) take advantage of the winter sports available to us including staking.

Like most boys in the area, hockey was a passion of mine. Our staking pond had just started to freeze over when I decided it was thick enough to venture out. I enjoyed myself that day, I had the pond to myself and I must have spent three hours out there without any problems or incidents. The next day I went to school and told everyone that the pond was ready and we had a plan to meet that Friday for our first game of hockey.

The dismissal bell couldn't come fast enough as we all wiggled in our seats in anticipation of getting out on ice. Finally, the bell and we all ran to the pond, stakes in hand. We played and played and played until someone really gave the puck a good solid whack and it landed way across the pond. Thinking nothing of it I yelled out that I would go get it. As I staked over I noticed that the ice was a little slushy in the other part of the pond, but, didn't give it a second thought. I got the puck and gave it a hard whack back to the gang. As I began staking I heard a loud "CRACK" and before I knew it I was clinging to the side of the ice and in the water from my waist down. As I tried to pull myself out, the ice gave completely away and I was now under water.

My friends panicked! A few came racing towards me and others went running for help. As my friends got closer to me the ice broke up further and further. Finally, someone remembered that they needed to distribute weight to have the safest chance at rescue. They laid down in a human chain and by the time the fire department had gotten their, I was out of the water and shaking from the bitter cold.

I was admitted to the hospital overnight for observation. I was released the next morning and headed off to school and along the way my nose started running. By first period I had a sore throat and by the end of the day, I was feeling pretty miserable. The next day I woke up with a rotten head and chest cold that keep me out of school for an entire week. And, from that cold forward my Mother reminded me about not getting wet.

Now, supposedly they claim you can't catch a cold from being wet and being exposed to the cold but, nothing else explains how or where else I could have caught one they day I fell through the ice. Even today I find if I'm exposed to rain and cold weather, a cold follows within a few days.

This might not be the funniest story you read in this blog but, it's certainly a true story. And one I will never forget!

Our anniversary colds

My boyfriend and I had our first date on Halloween which was cold, drizzling night and we weren't dressed for the weather. Regardless, we had a terrific time and couldn't wait to see each other again. We made a date for the following night and it was raining heavier that night. We did the usual second date thing - dinner in a nice restaurant and we had plans to continue on to the movies. As we were driving along we heard thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump and pulled over to discover what we didn't want to admit in the car. We had a flat. We also had no umbrella and was really coming down hard. We got the tire changed but not after being splashed by several cars and getting soaked from head to toe.

My place was closer so we agreed to forgo the movie and head to my place to dry off. My boyfriend, being the gentleman, insisted that I shower and change first. And, then he followed me. We had a nice evening at my place and didn't think much of the flat other than it was a complete annoyance.

The following day my boyfriend called me up very excited that he had the chance to go to Europe for the weekend for his work and asked me if I wanted to join him. It turns out he was heading Switzerland and me being a complete ski buff said yes without thinking twice since he was going to Zermatt (which is close to the Matterhorn so I knew snow would be on the ground in early November.)

I could not wait until Friday evening where we would meet in the airport, have a less than memorable dinner at a fast food place, and, boarded our plane. We must have been really absorbed into each other because it was hours before we realized the person directly in front of us had a terrible cold. We kept hearing "Achooo" but I guess neither of us gave it any thought.

We arrived at our very upscale hotel and while I noticed the desk clerk sniffling, again, due to the "newness" of my boyfriend, didn't pay much attention. Likewise, until the bellmen let out a loud, uncontrolled sneezed for which he apologized profusely - we were blind to the fact everyone around us had colds, and, we just got off a plane which are notorious germs spreaders.

We went to bed and the next morning I awoke like it was Christmas morning. I ran down to the lobby to find out about the skiing conditions only to find out the slopes weren't open yet. Well that bust my bubble. Disappointed, my boyfriend and I decided to go to town and do a little window shopping and sightseeing. Seems like everyone was sniffling or sneezing. I figured it was the cold air since was only in the 30s.

We had a lovely dinner and decided to take advantage of the hotel's hot tub. We stayed in there for a long time, I think I nodded off to sleep for a few minutes before my boyfriend woke me and told me we had better go inside. That's when we realised we locked ourselves out of our room. There we were soaking wet from head to toe in freezing cold weather running to the front of the hotel in our bathing suits. The desk clerk who had been sniffling the night before now had a full blown, pretty awful cold and a huge sneezing fit took place as we stood there shivering.

The minute we got back into our room we ran into the shower and made it as hot as we could take it and held each other for warmth. We got into bed and snuggled tight and then I sneezed and then my boyfriend sneezed. Neither of us wanted to say it. I sneezed again twice and he sneezed a few more times that evening. As we slept I could feel my throat getting sore and my nose getting stuffed up.

I woke up the next morning with one of the worst colds of my life. My boyfriend was no better. We both had fevers, chills, and, and stayed in bed for an entire week. I still shutter when I remember how sick we both were that week!

The very next year we returned on the same dates, but, this time got engaged! However we both ended up with colds again and ever since that fateful trip, like clock-work, we BOTH catch our "anniversary colds", almost as if choreographed, even if we aren't together. While it's horrible as it is happening there is no one else on this planet that I'd rather share a cold with then my now husband. And since we're coming into the Fall, like clockwork, on November 3rd both my husband and I will be in bed with colds. Get the tissues ready!

Yes, Virginia, doctors and other medical professionals do get sick

Doctors DO catch colds by Dr. Jeff Smith, MD

Contray 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