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The fact of the matter is, you are contagious with the flu often before you even know that you have the flu and for sometime after flu symptoms begin to appear. Understanding the causes of the flu as well as the symptoms of the flu will help you understand how long you are contagious with the flu.

The first factor in determining how long you are contagious with the flu has to do with your age. For adults, you can be contagious with the flu up to a full day prior to becoming sick at all. You can then be contagious for an additional three to seven days after you first see signs of flu symptoms. For children, this can last even longer. Children may be contagious for even more than a full week after first developing symptoms.

It’s important to know what the symptoms of the flu are so that you can recognize when you might be contagious. The flu has many symptoms, including things like body aches, a dry cough, fever, and extreme tiredness. Often, when you have the flu, you may have an upset stomach as well or even occasionally have nausea or diarrhea. The flu is much more severe than the common cold and the duration and severity of the flu are your first signs that you may have a flu virus as opposed to a common cold.

It’s important to understand something about flu treatment when you are thinking of how long you are contagious with the flu. Even if you take an antiviral drug within the first couple of days of having symptoms of the flu, it doesn’t necessarily reduce the amount of time that you are going to be contagious with the flu. Antiviral drugs may be able to reduce the duration of your flu; however, they don’t necessarily keep you from being contagious. Antiviral drugs can reduce you flu duration by about a full day, but only if you can take those antiviral drugs within the first couple days of symptoms.

Antiviral flu drugs must be prescribed by a doctor. It is also important to understand that antiviral flu drugs aren’t effective against all strains of the flu virus. However, they aren’t effective against other bacteria or other viruses that may cause symptoms that are very similar to the flu. In addition, they don’t treat any bacterial infections that can come about after having the flu.

The best way to be less contagious with the flu is to avoid it if you can. One of the best ways to avoid the flu is with the flu vaccine. It is especially important to get the flu vaccine if you fall into certain high risk categories. These risk factors include children under the age of 23 months, but over the age of 6 months. It includes adults that are over the age of 65. It includes people between the ages of 2 years and 64 years old who have certain chronic medical conditions. Women who will be pregnant during the flu season could also benefit from the flu vaccine. Health workers that directly work with patients on a regular basis can also benefit from the flu vaccine.

Keeping your hands washed and clean and keeping your home and work area sanitized can help prevent the spread of the flu virus. Even if you are contagious, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to pass it along to the other people that you work with or that are in your house if you take these precautions.