I have heard that viruses are not contagious, but if not - how does one contract a cold or other viral infection, such as bronchitus?
200332
Yes, all viruses that use human as their host are contangious. That is how there survive and multiple. If not, they probably aready extinct. They just differ in their route of transmission. Example, cold virus is spread by airborne droplets.\n\nSome viruses are species specific. E.g. Species specific virus that infect horses does not infect human.\nHowever, sometimes virus may undergo mutation and acquire the ability to infect human. That is why we are so afraid of bird flu, which seems to be acquiring this ability.
299691
I believe this will help you.\n\nhttp://www.copd-international.com/\n\nGood luck. Pneumonia is not contagious, if caused by a cold, then that would be contaguious, you will not develop pneumonia unless you don't take care of yourself.
415251
It isn't very conventient, but carry a little bottle of hand sanitizer with you wherever you go. Germs are more likely to be transmitted by something you touch and then you rubbing your eyes or nose, not necessarily through the air.\n\nWash your hands when you can and sanitize them often and keep taking the Airborne and hopefully you'll make it.\n\nI have a cold right now, but don't worry, I don't think I can transmit it over the web. Achoo!
571830
allergies are a response to allergens (ie pollen, pet dander etc.). In response to allergens, your allergies are cause by the bodys release of histamines. Some allergies can be acquired over time or indicative immediately after exposure to an allergen. \n\nAllergens are typically caused non-living factors like food, medicine, pet dander and not by living factors like bacteria or viruses. Bacteria and Viruses are classified as "infections" and not allergies.\n\nIf your coworker has a cold, then yes you can get that. It's caused by a virus that can be spread in mucous and water droplets from the lungs, but if its only allergies you are completely fine!\n\n[edit]\n\nIn regards to Germacidal's post...\n\nYou can receive an infection secondary to an allergy, but the allergy it self is not the cause. To receive an infection, you must come in contact with a bacterium or viron that successfully penetrates into your body.\n\nSecondly, just because you have a severe allergy to plant pollen or other airborne allergens does not indicate your likeliness to get an infection. \n\nBe sure to wash your hands often especially before eating and drinking. This should decrease your chances of contracting an infection...
399015
There aren't really medicines that will prevent you from getting a cold, however taking adult multivitamins, and making sure that you are eating healthy and exercises, substantially lowers your risk for getting a cold. Also making sure you wash your hands, or carry hand sanitizer with you can help. Also, avoiding people who have the cold will help too. :) Making sure your immunity is up is KEY!
358659
Kennel Cough, or Bordetella, is actually not a "cold." It is a bacterial respiratory infection. Colds are viruses (most commonly rhinoviruses), not bacteria. Anyway, the answer is still yes, dogs can of course catch colds. Colds cannot be transferred from people to dogs or vise versa though, because every virus has a very specific host range and can only attach to specific receptors found on specific cells. The viruses that dogs contract are different from those which people contract. There are no proteins involved with colds, strictly viruses. But yes, dogs catch colds commonly.
252379
Its only contagious as long as the person is running a fever. Once the fever has stopped its ok. Besides those with mono are quartined until they are no longer able to spread it. If he had it in January odds are you are safe.
534048
That's true.  The cold virus mutates constantly.  If you were exposed to the exact same virus again, your body "remembers" and can fight it off before you have any cold symptoms.  However, a new mutation is not recognized, and can produce all the symptoms all over again.\n\nRe: the flu shot.  (above) \nInfluenza is NOT the cold virus - it's completely different, and mutates much more slowly.  That's why they can predict with reasonable certainty which variety needs to be in the flu shot.  It is NOT worthless.
181595
No hiccups are not contagious but it might be possible to control them.  If one can control the hindbrain then it might be possible to contol ones hiccups...similar to people who can cause their eyes to shake rapidly.  \n\nSometimes if you get the hiccups then physcially try to hiccup again you won't hiccup (my friend does that to his daughter by telling her he'll give her a dollar if she would do it again, she usually can't)
21134
Well, I don't know why yawns are contagious because scientists really don't know what cause yawn's in the first place. However, on a lesser level, I believe yawns are contagious because when you see someone yawn, you tend to think of how tired you are. Therefore, you yawn too. And plus it is pretty amusing when you have a yawn fest with someone and just cannot stop yawning back and forth.\nHope this helps!\n\nP.S. I yawned while writing this...twice actually ;)
92449
Influenza, or ‘flu’, is a highly contagious acute viral infection that affects people of all ages. It typically starts suddenly with fever, chills, headache, aching muscles, general prostration and a cough or other respiratory symptoms. Most people recover without complications in 1-2 weeks\n\nMany of the symptoms of flu are similar to those of the common cold (see Common cold), and many people incorrectly refer to a heavy cold as ‘flu’. Viruses cause them both, but flu affects the lungs much more that a cold does. Also flu doesn’t usually give you the same congested ‘heavy headed’ feeling that a cold does.\n\nThe majority of fit, healthy people can treat the symptoms of flu at home using remedies commonly available from pharmacies.  Antibiotics are not prescribed for flu as they have no effect on viruses. They may rarely be necessary to control complications, especially serious chest infections or pneumonia.\n\nIt is usually advised that otherwise healthy people should stay at home and in bed for as long as the acute symptoms persist, this is usually for two or three days after the symptoms peak. It is important to drink plenty of fluids and to treat the symptoms as necessary. See the encyclopaedia entries on colds, sore throats and coughs for symptom relief. \n\nThere is more information on the NHS direct website about Flu and the Common cold, just perform a search
138626
Here are some very cool links about yawning in general and why it is contagious:\n\nhttp://www.howstuffworks.com/question572.htm\n\nhttp://staff.washington.edu/~chudler/yawning.html\n\nhttp://www.world-science.net/exclusives/050309_yawnfrm.htm\n\nBy the way, excellent question.  Hope this helps.\n\nGod Bless!  :)
387918
My Children have excercise induced asthma and cold induced asthma. You get shortnes off breath and coughing. If you cough and it takes you a long time to calm down try to get a drink of water. What happens is in the airways you have muscles wrapped around the pipes and when you have an attack they tighten. Also when you cough there are mucas plugs in those airways that swell and cause mucas causing you to cough. Please if you think that you have asthma go to a Asthma and Allergy doctor not your regular doctor for they might overlook it. It happened to my daughter for 3 months....
234267
no one cultures for viral respiratory infections , culturing is usually done for bacteria . viruses can be detected by doing blood test and checking for antibodies ( rarely done and expensive to do ), very little you can do to fight viral respiratory infections except rest , fluids and mild analgesics . antibiotics dont do anything for viral infections
431739
The common cold is transmitted from person to person, it is not caused by being cold.  Although there is some research that suggests that being cold leaves you more open to catching a cold.  There are two main theories:\n\n1) Although not entirely understood, the theory is that when you get cold your blood concentrates around your vital organs in order to keep them warm.  This means that your extremities become very cold, in particular your nose.  The theory goes that your nose acts like a first line of defense and can reduce the chances of the virus making its way to your respiratory tract.  When your cold the blood supply to the nose is reduced and this first line of defense is lost.\n\n2) Being cold weakens your immune system so you are more likely to develop the symptoms of a cold.
548741
Since it is taking so long for you to get sick, that is the hallmark of a viral infection (bacterial infections make you sick within hours, not days).  A few years ago, some research published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that zinc supplementation cuts the average length of such infections in half.  This is a similar treatment effect to antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections (antibiotics do nothing for viral infections).  You can get zinc in the form of pleasant tasting honey lemon cough drops at almost any grocery store.  Suck on a bunch of these to get the effect.  It's the only thing I know of, shown to do anything for colds.  However, it does alot and is easily and cheaply obtainable.  Vitamin C, btw, has been shown to do nothing.
59333
I don't know Johnny, but if he's still sneezing and wheezing, I would bet he is still contagious.  They are spread by respiratory droplets, which are produced by sneezing or coughing, also by getting these on inanimate objects, and then you touching them, and then touching your nose or mouth or food.  There are many strains of colds, which is why we keep getting them, but I think the older you get, the less you get them, because you may have had them before, or they get less severe, because you have had one quite similar and have some immunity.  Of course every one who sneezes or wheezes doesn't have a cold.  They could have an allergy or asthma or they could have rhinitis from being a coc addict or a meth addict or some people have rhinitis medicamentosa, which is rhinitis from using too much nasal decongestant spray like Afrin.  It's normal to sneeze in response to cold air or dust or allergens.  It's normal to do a little coughing and smokers do this much more.