When is a cold contagious webmd

All this cleaning and sanitizing can cause your hands to get dry faster , especially during the Harmattan season. You should use Dettol skin jelly to moisturise after you wash or sanitise your hands.

Antibacterial enriched with added moisturizers. Leaves hands hygienically clean. Our Expertise. Did you know? While normal skin is resistant to the virus, it can get into your body through broken skin and mucous membranes such as the moist inner skin that lines your mouth, eyes or your genitals.

Once this happens, the virus multiplies and travels down the nerve sheath, causing a cold sore. In most cases, cold sores are just unsightly and painful but clear up within 15 days. However, cold sores can be serious when they affect: vii. Touching is how cold sores are spread.

You should do this after touching your cold sore and before touching your eyes, contact lenses, genitals or any area of broken skin. This means any sort of kiss, even on the cheek.

Most people get HSV-1 as a child through an affectionate kiss from an infected adult. Abstain from engaging in oral sex when you have symptoms of a cold sore, as you can pass on the HSV-1 virus, giving your partner an infection in their genital area. This covers food, eating utensils, straws, cups, glasses, lipsticks, lip balm, cold sore cream and anything else that has come into contact with your saliva or cold sore.

The virus can lurk in the bristles of your toothbrush so treat yourself to a new one after the blister has formed and again after the attack has cleared up. Fewer outbreaks mean a lower risk of spreading the infection. The virus tends to stay inactive until something triggers it.

Common triggers include: viii. It also contains the only non-prescription cold sore ingredient the FDA has approved to shorten healing time. Apply your cold sore cream five times a day, first removing any cosmetics. Rhinovirus is the most common cold-causing virus. More than other viruses can cause colds. This will prevent you from spreading the cold to other people.

Wash your hands frequently. Cover your mouth with your forearm when you cough. If you have been around someone who is sick, washing your hands may help prevent you from catching the virus. You should also avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Babies and children have a higher risk for colds.

School children are especially at risk because the virus is so easily spread. Being in close contact with someone who has a cold will put you at risk. Any group situation where one or more people have colds can also put you at risk.

That includes:. People with a weakened immune system are at an increased risk for viral nasopharyngitis. If you have a weakened immune system, wash your hands more often and avoid rubbing your eyes after touching doorknobs or other surfaces that may be contaminated.

To diagnose your cold, your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms. They will also perform a physical examination. Your doctor may look at your nose, throat, and ears. They may swab them to collect a sample to test for possible bacterial infection or influenza. If your nasopharyngitis keeps coming back, your doctor may refer you to an ear, nose, and throat ENT specialist for more tests. They develop in response to a common viral infection.

Generally, a cold sore is contagious for around 15 days. The first sign of a developing cold sore tends to be a burning or tingling sensation in the area. This may be 1—2 days before the onset of visible blisters. The cold sore will appear as a cluster of blisters on the surface of the skin. Typically, these blisters will burst, resulting in an open and painful sore.

A scab then forms over the wound. The entire process usually takes around 7—12 days , though the cold sores may last for up to 15 days. In this article, we explore how people contract and transmit the cold sore virus.

We also provide information on cold sore symptoms, prevention tips, and treatment options. The herpes simplex virus type 1 HSV-1 is what causes cold sores. Most people contract it during childhood. HSV-1 is highly contagious. People can transmit it to another person by kissing or sharing utensils, towels, or other personal care items.

The virus can then enter the body through a small cut in the skin. Once a person has HSV-1 in their system, it is there for life, as there is currently no cure.

The virus can remain dormant for long periods but may reactivate at any point. In some cases, however, the virus may never become active. Many people with the virus do not develop cold sores. A person can transmit HSV-1 to others when the virus is inactive. However, a person is much more likely to pass on HSV-1 when cold sores are present.