Can you catch the same cold twice? Or do you get immune to the first one, and then catch a different one?

When are you infectious? When you’re sneezing and snottering? Or in the run up to the physical symptoms?

How do you actually catch it? Airborne or hands/food to mouth? (or indeed mouth to mouth – if you had anyone to kiss!).

Why doesn’t my dog catch colds?

Thank you! 🙂

The cold virus changes all the time so you probably catch a slightly different variety each time. You catch colds by rubbing your eyes and picking your nose with dirty fingers, especially if you have been out in public, touching door handles etc. If you and your family wash your hands as soon as you get back home you won’t be spreading the viruses all over your door handles and possessions, to pick up later. If you can avoid rubbing and picking you will suffer far fewer colds. Through the mouth is the least likely route because your saliva and stomach acids are designed to destroy viruses.

There is some medical evidence that zinc can help your mucous membranes to resist viral attack. The bit about Vitamin C is a myth, all that happens is that when you have a cold you lose the ability to absorb vitamin C. I have also found that if I gargle with Corsodyl as soon as I get the soreness at the back of the nose and throat I can often beat off a cold or reduce the severity. You catch about a dozen colds a year but shake off most of them without realising it. You are at your most infectious in the early stages or sneezing and running eyes. The snotty bit with green phlegm is the body’s clean-up programme to remove the viruses.

It is a myth that one catches a cold virus only in cold weather, this is true to a certain extent as people turn on radiaters etc etc…. Thus harbouring the virus more but actually has nothing to do with the weather, infact the cold weather is better to kill viruses!

The easiest way to catch a cold is to have a child and send it to nursery.

Why doesn’t my dog catch colds?

That sounds like it should have a punchline, something to do with feeling “ruff” maybe?

The easiest way to catch a cold is to have a child and send it to nursery.

Yes, the people at work who have children always seem to have colds.

Why do we get more in the winter? I would have thought we would get less because it’s cold. I suppose because people have central heating on. I know it’s so hot in our offices that I am still wearing sleeveless tops and summer clothes – crazy, the germs must think they’re in germ heaven.

Why do the flu epidemics hit in winter?

The easiest way to catch a cold is to have a child and send it to nursery.

I refer to Little Ms TT as ‘Typhoid Mary’ these days.

*sniff*

*cough*

I thought it was generally accepted that when it’s cold our bodies have to expend more resources trying to keep warm, and so have less remaining to fend off germs.

Oh, is that why. Didn’t know. What I certainly do know is that I don’t catch colds from cycling in the rain – as they think at work “Ooooh you’ll catch your death of cold!”.

No. I won’t. 🙄

OP – why do you ask? do you get a lot of colds?

I catch at least one every winter, and last year I caught two, the second was really really bad. Actually, the second one was completely awful. I hate getting a cold, it’s so debilitating.

So partly to get some tips on avoidance, and partly because there’s so much old-wifery about colds.

They offer a flu jab at work, which I always decline, because I don’t see how they know which flu virus is going to go around.

The tip about not touching your eyes or nose is a good one, I know I rub my eyes.

I am sure you do get a lot of cold germs through your eyes. Recently I had an ‘antibodies’ blood test, it turned out I have low immunity to some of the common germs that cause colds. So i have had a few vaccinations and have to go back for another test later this month.

Apparently you develope natural immunity before you are 5 years old, but for some reason I didn’t.

might be worth asking your GP.

and as for no one to kiss – Snap!

They offer a flu jab at work, which I always decline, because I don’t see how they know which flu virus is going to go around.

whilst they’re never 100% sure what virus is going to be doing the rounds, they don’t just make it up and hope for the best. There is a lot of work that goes into deciding what ‘flu virus is going to be doing the rounds the following winter. Were I ever offered the ‘flu jab I’d take it every single time, however I’m not in a high risk group so it’s unlikely that I ever will be.

I don’t catch enough to worry about it, one or two a year isn’t bad. I asked out of interest and to get ammo for defence – whenever there is something wrong with me my colleagues attribute it to cycling.

I hope you get yourself sorted, colds are unpleasant.

I have had a cold since last Friday now, really really sucks. So that’s two weekends it’s ruined 😐

I’m sure I remember not not caring about having them when I was a bit younger in my early twenties but this one, and the one I caught last year at pretty much exactly the same time has been pretty debilitating.

I’ve been to work but haven’t been out running or on my bike since I caught it so am about one and a half to two weeks without exercising now. Thinking about starting to exercise again maybe on Tuesday but I still have a bit of a cough left over….never really sure when it is best to start again but coincidentally just been reading this:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2008/feb/26/features.g2

Partly I think I notice them more now because I never used to exercise so with a cold I would still go to work, the pub, whatever and it didn’t really affect my life. Now I exercise regularly and having a cold stops this so it becomes really noticeable.

The ‘washing your hands regularly’ thing definitely seems to work- my g/f who I live with gets colds all the time and when she does I make sure I’m always washing my hands and more often than not I seem to not catch them.

colds and flu prevalent in winter – I like the vit D idea (it’s not a theory ‘cos it’s not backed up by science) i.e that you fight off colds better when you’re stacked with the sunshine vitamin.

I take a ton of vit D now, and even if it’s placebo it’s working. No colds for years…

I think that it’s fair to say that cycling does not cause colds or contribute to them in any way!

thanks for the kind words KOF