document.write('<div class="syndicate" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><div class="mSyndicate"><h1>Common Colds: Protect Yourself and Others</h1></div></div><div class="syndicate" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><div class="mSyndicate"><p><img alt="Young girl sneezing into elbow" class="pull-right margin-left-ten fancy-border" align="right" src="http://www.cdc.gov/features/rhinoviruses/rhinoviruses_456px.jpg" /><strong>Sore ');
document.write('throat and runny nose are usually the first signs of a cold, ');
document.write('followed by coughing and sneezing. Most people recover in 7-10 days ');
document.write('or so. You can help reduce your risk of getting a cold by washing ');
document.write('your hands often and avoid touching your face with unwashed ');
document.write('hands.</strong></p><p>Common colds are the main reason that children miss school and ');
document.write('adults miss work. Each year in the United States, there are ');
document.write('millions of cases of the common cold. Adults have an average of 2-3 ');
document.write('colds per year, and children have even more.</p><p>Most people get colds in the winter and spring, but it is ');
document.write('possible to get a cold any time of the year. Symptoms usually ');
document.write('include sore throat, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, ');
document.write('headaches and body aches. Most people recover within about 7-10 ');
document.write('days. However, people with weakened immune systems, asthma, or ');
document.write('respiratory conditions may develop serious illness, such as ');
document.write('pneumonia.</p><h3>How to Protect Yourself and Others</h3><p>You can help reduce your risk of getting a cold:</p><ul><li><strong>Wash your hands often with soap and water<br /></strong><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/" target="_blank">Wash them for 20 ');
document.write('seconds</a>, and help young children do the same. If soap and water ');
document.write('are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Viruses ');
document.write('that cause colds can live on your hands, and regular handwashing ');
document.write('can help protect you from getting sick.</li><li><strong>Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed ');
document.write('hands<br /></strong>Viruses that cause colds can enter your body this way and ');
document.write('make you sick.</li><li><strong>Stay away from people who are sick<br /></strong>Sick people can spread viruses that cause the common cold ');
document.write('through close contact with others.</li></ul><div class="pull-right span5"><div class="module-typeC"><img alt="Boy washing his hands" src="http://www.cdc.gov/features/rhinoviruses/rhinoviruses_a250px.jpg" /><p>Help reduce your risk of getting a cold by washing hands often ');
document.write('with soap and water.</p></div></div><p>If you have a cold, you should follow these tips to prevent ');
document.write('spreading it to other people:</p><ul><li>Stay at home while you are sick</li><li>Avoid close contact with others, such as hugging, kissing, or ');
document.write('shaking hands</li><li>Move away from people before coughing or sneezing</li><li>Cough and sneeze into a tissue then throw it away, or cough and ');
document.write('sneeze into your upper shirt sleeve, completely covering your mouth ');
document.write('and nose</li><li>Wash your hands after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your ');
document.write('nose</li><li>Disinfect frequently touched surfaces, and objects such as toys ');
document.write('and doorknobs</li></ul><p>There is no vaccine to protect you against the common cold.</p><h3>How to Feel Better</h3><p>There is no cure for a cold. To feel better, you should get lots ');
document.write('of rest and drink plenty of fluids. Over-the-counter medicines may ');
document.write('help ease symptoms but will not make your cold go away any faster. ');
document.write('Always read the label and use medications as directed. Talk to your ');
document.write('doctor before giving your child nonprescription cold medicines, ');
document.write('since some medicines contain ingredients that are not recommended ');
document.write('for children. Learn more about ');
document.write(' ');
document.write('<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/community/for-patients/symptom-relief.html" target="_blank">');
document.write('symptom relief</a>.</p><p>Antibiotics will not help you recover from a cold. They do not ');
document.write('work against viruses, and they may make it harder for your body to ');
document.write('fight future bacterial infections if you take them unnecessarily. ');
document.write('Learn more about ');
document.write(' ');
document.write('<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/community/for-patients/common-illnesses/colds.html" target="_blank">');
document.write('when antibiotics work</a>.</p><h3>When to See a Doctor</h3><p>You should call your doctor if you or your child has one or more ');
document.write('of these conditions:</p><ul><li>a temperature higher than 100.4° F</li><li>symptoms that last more than 10 days</li><li>symptoms that are severe or unusual</li></ul><p>If your child is younger than 3 months of age and has a fever, ');
document.write('you should always call your doctor right away. Your doctor can ');
document.write('determine if you or your child has a cold and can recommend therapy ');
document.write('to help with symptoms.</p><div class="pull-right span5"><div class="module-typeC"><img alt="Boy with wet rag on forehead and thermometer in mouth" src="http://www.cdc.gov/features/rhinoviruses/rhinoviruses_b250px.jpg" /><p>Call your doctor if your child has symptoms that last more than ');
document.write('10 days.</p></div></div><h3>Causes of the Common Cold</h3><p>Many different viruses can cause the common cold, but ');
document.write('rhinoviruses are the most common. Rhinoviruses can also trigger ');
document.write('asthma attacks and have been linked to sinus and ear infections. ');
document.write('Other viruses that can cause colds include ');
document.write(' ');
document.write('<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/rsv" target="_blank">respiratory syncytial virus</a>, ');
document.write(' ');
document.write('<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/parainfluenza/index.html" target="_blank">human ');
document.write('parainfluenza viruses</a>, and ');
document.write(' ');
document.write('<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/hmpv/clinical.html" target="_blank">human ');
document.write('metapneumovirus</a>.</p><p>Viruses that cause colds can spread from infected people to ');
document.write('others through the air and close personal contact. You can also get ');
document.write('infected through contact with stool (poop) or respiratory ');
document.write('secretions from an infected person. This can happen when you shake ');
document.write('hands with someone who has a cold, or touch a doorknob that has ');
document.write('viruses on it, then touch your eyes, mouth, or nose.</p></div></div><div class="syndicate" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><div class="mSyndicate"><h3>More Information</h3><ul class="list-bullet"><li><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/community/for-patients/common-illnesses/colds.html" target="_blank">');
document.write('Common Cold and Runny Nose, CDC</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001698/" target="_blank">Common ');
document.write('Cold, U.S. National Library of Medicine</a></li><li><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/" target="_blank">Handwashing: Clean ');
document.write('Hands Saves Lives, CDC</a></li></ul></div></div><div id="cdcAttribution">Content provided and maintained by the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/" target="_blank">US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC). Please see the system <a href="http://tools.cdc.gov/syndication/tos.aspx" target="_blank" >usage guidelines and disclaimer</a>.</div>');
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