Should i go outside with a cold

Here are some common mistakes that prolong cold and flu misery. It's easy to want to ignore a cold — after all, you have more important things to do than sit home and treat it. If you run yourself ragged when you're not feeling well, even if you just have a common cold, you'll make it worse and it will take longer for you to recover.

It usually takes two to three days from the time you're exposed to the cold virus before you actually start to feel sick, but it could take as long as a week. You may feel fine, but you could also have a cold brewing. That's why it's so important to make a conscious effort to contain your germs once you feel sick.

To keep a contagious cold from spreading, always cover your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze, and wash your hands often.

Otherwise, your cold can spread around the house or office and boomerang back to you, leaving you feeling like you can't recover. If you have a bacterial infection, you likely need antibiotics to treat it. Viruses, on the other hand, don't respond to antibiotics — and if you take them when you don't need them, you can build up a resistance. That means that the next time you have an infection and need an antibiotic , it might not work as well as it should.

Bottom line: If it's the common cold, don't try to zap it with antibiotics. Just stick with over-the-counter cold treatment. When you have a cold, you may not feel like eating or drinking. But no matter what you hear, sitting or sleeping in a draft, not dressing warmly when it's chilly, or going outside with wet hair will not cause someone to catch a cold.

Dry air — indoors or outside — can lower resistance to infection by viruses. So can allergies, lack of sleep, stress , not eating properly, or being around someone who smokes. And smokers are more likely to catch colds than people who don't smoke.

Their symptoms will probably be worse, last longer, and be more likely to lead to bronchitis or even pneumonia. The first symptoms of a cold are often a tickle in the throat, a runny or stuffy nose, and sneezing. You also might feel very tired and have a sore throat, cough, headache, mild fever, muscle aches, and loss of appetite. Mucus from your nose may become thick yellow or green. Rhinoviruses can stay alive as droplets in the air or on surfaces for as long as 3 hours or even more.

So if you touch your mouth or nose after touching someone or something that's been contaminated by one of these viruses, you'll probably catch a cold unless you're already immune to the particular virus from having been exposed to it before. If you already have a cold, you're more likely to spread it to others if you don't wash your hands after you cough or sneeze.

Going to school or doing normal activities probably won't make you feel any worse. But it will make it more likely that your cold will spread to classmates or friends. 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. What starts as a telltale tickle in the back of your throat can turn into several weeks off sick and spread through your family like wildfire.

When you're struck down by a stinking cold, most people try and go about their normal lives and usually get better within a week or two. But unless we're on lockdown, in which case stay at home! A good workout can give you a much-needed energy boost, but will strenuous exercise set your illness back? The official line is rest is best, so press pause on your workout for a week.

Taking time off to recover is not going to drastically impact your fitness levels but it will make you feel well again. If you feel tired, are having trouble breathing and generally are lacking in energy, it's probably better to give the gym a miss,' she adds.

Is fresh air good for a cold or should you ride it out indoors? It's normal to get cabin fever after a day or two in bed and a gentle walk in the fresh air should be fine, as long as you feel up to it. Strenuous exercise will make all of those symptoms worse. From a healing hot toddy to a night on the tiles, it's tempting to try and drink through a cold. Gargle with salt water.

A saltwater gargle with about 1 teaspoon of salt per cup of warm water can help reduce the pain and swelling of a sore throat. Over-the-counter medications : Over-the-counter decongestants, antihistamines and pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, can reduce some cold symptoms. Children younger than 6 should not use over-the-counter medications. Talk to your doctor for more details. Humidify the air.

Cold air holds less moisture than warm air.