How Long Is A Common Cold Contagious?

The common cold is an unfortunate part of life that both kids and adults have to eventually deal with. For kids, however, there is a greater chance of catching the virus. Why? Because they tend to touch their faces far more than adults and wash their hands even less.

Children who are active in school or childcare are even more likely to catch a common cold due to the interaction with other kids and playing with the same toys. Since kids are unlikely to wash their hands after meals and between playing with toys, it’s easier to pick up the cold virus on surfaces.

If your child touches their face or mouth, it’s very likely that they will come down with a cold. It is therefore crucial to teach your child early on the importance of washing their hands and avoiding germs, and if they still end up catching the flu, using the right kids’ flu remedy to help your kiddo get back on their feet! As an integrative physician, advisor and partner of the first clean medicine company, Genexa makes medicine with the same active ingredients you need, but without artifical fillers, I think it’s critical that patients know how to relieve symptoms, and help prevent the spread of, the common cold.

How Long is a Cold Contagious?

Your child is likely to be contagious for between three and four days after their symptoms first start. With that said, it’s possible that they can be contagious for as long as three weeks after first catching a cold.

This is rather rare, however. Your child is more likely to be contagious for between five and seven days. But because there is such a wide window for spreading the cold, it’s important to use caution around others.

Be aware that your child can become infected with a cold and not display any symptoms for two or three days. They could therefore be contagious and not even know it. This is part of the reason why the cold is so widespread and why so many people catch it every year.

What’s more, colds can be caught year-round, as the weather isn’t the only factor affecting spread. While it’s true that people are more susceptible to catching a common cold in the fall and winter, there’s still a possibility of becoming infected in the spring and summer.

Because of this, you want to make sure that you are well prepared in case you or your loved ones get sick. So, what’s the best way to do this?

How Does the Common Cold Spread?

The common cold is spread a few different ways. As mentioned, touching items that already have the cold virus on them will spread it. It’s also easy to catch a cold by breathing in the air around someone who is infected.

Common colds spread via tiny droplets in the air that can enter through your child’s nose, eyes, or mouth. Sitting next to a kid in school or childcare could be enough to transfer the virus to your child. All it takes is the infected person to talk, sneeze, or cough to release droplets into the air.

While face masks can certainly help to reduce the likelihood of breathing in these droplets, it isn’t a sure-fire way to prevent the spread completely. As such, you want to ensure that your family’s medicine cabinet is stocked with safe and effective medications.

How To Treat the Common Cold

Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure or vaccine for the common cold. As such, there isn’t a way to treat it. You can, however, give your child medication that is designed to help lessen their symptoms. With that said, you want to be careful with the types of medicines you give your child.

Many of today’s cold medications for children contain unnecessary ingredients, including artificial additives. Moreover, studies have revealed that cold medicine is actually rather ineffective in children. You therefore want to be sure that you are investing in the right kind of solution.

With more parents learning the truth about traditional cold medicine, the desire to give their children homeopathic remedies is on the rise.

Genexa is one company that offers a long line of homeopathic options that are safe for both children and adults.

One of Genexa’s most popular cold solutions for children is Kids’ Cold Crush. Thanks to this organic formula, parents don’t have to worry about synthetic ingredients that don’t really work to your child’s benefit. This is because Genexa uses real ingredients to create clean medicine.

As the world’s first clean medicine company, Genexa is committed to keeping families healthy using only ingredients that are necessary. You won’t find any of the synthetic inactive ingredients typically found in other brands. Instead, you’re giving your child a homeopathic medicine that can help relieve pesky cold symptoms.

Genexa also strives to make their clean, organic medicine taste great. It’s no secret that most cold medicines aren’t appealing to children. Genexa bucks this trend by using real flavors. In Kids’ Cold Crush, for example, organic acai berry is added to give the medicine a pleasant and enjoyable taste.

Another helpful option for children is Genexa’s Kids’ Honey Cough Syrup, which can give your child relief from a dry, irritated throat. Conventional cough medicines are made up of ingredients and chemicals that you can’t pronounce. But in Genexa Kids’ Honey Cough Syrup, you will only find organic elderberry fruit extract, Echinacea Aerial extract, organic acerola fruit extract, organic honey, purified water, organic cultured dextrose, and citric acid. No unnecessary chemicals or additives. Chest congestion is another unfortunate symptom of the common cold. Genexa delivers an excellent clean medicine option with their Kids’ Cough & Chest Congestion. It contains the active ingredients found in common OTC formulas but does not have any artificial inactive ingredients.

The effective active ingredients are dextromethorphan HBr and guaifenesin, which help with coughing and congestion. Also included is organic blueberry flavor, organic agave syrup, citrus extract, non-GMO flavor, and purified water. It’s another example of how Genexa makes real medicine, made clean.

It’s important to be aware that if your child has developed a chest infection, they may need an antibiotic. It can help clear any infection while restoring your child’s health.

What’s more, you should always keep an eye on your child’s breathing. It’s understandable to assume that troubled breathing is a normal symptom of the common cold. But the truth is that any time there is wheezing or other labored breathing, you should seek medical assistance right away.

Breathing problems may be a sign that there is something more serious going on internally. If this happens, contact your child’s pediatrician to schedule an appointment. They can perform tests to better determine if something needs to be addressed.

Summary

Now that you know what to look for in the common cold, you can take steps to stop the spread of the virus. You may need to adjust your schedule to ensure that your child doesn’t spread their cold to other kids, but it will be worth it to keep others safe from harm.

While the cold is certainly no fun, Genexa makes sure that you have options to keep your child feeling as well as possible. Genexa’s clean approach to medicine is revolutionary, with more families entrusting them to care for their loved ones.

For both children and adults, Genexa offers a long line of clean medicines that can help you and your family stay well. Let Genexa help you clean up your medicine cabinet with real medicine, made clean.