Does the Sound of a Sneeze Send You Running for Cover?

Achoo-1"Some people are surprised to learn just how contagious they are when they're ill, which is one reason that viruses like the common cold spread so readily," explained Derek Gasper, DO, Family Medicine Physician with Glendale Primary Care.

"The good news is that many illnesses are preventable, either through vaccinations or by reducing our risk through healthy habits such as frequent hand washing," said Gasper. He advises all of his patients to get the annual flu shot and he recommends the one-time only pneumonia shot for patients 65 and older or those at added risk due to chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or compromised immunity. The one-time only shingles vaccination is also recommended for those 60 and older. Plus, everyone needs a tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis vaccination (Td/Tdap) every 10 years.

"We all need to be cautious not only about our own health, but also about exposing our illness to others," said Gasper. "Avoiding illness becomes all the more important as we age. Older adults have a heightened risk for becoming dehydrated by an illness or suffering complications. Your vulnerability increases if you have any pre-existing conditions such as COPD, congestive heart failure or recurrent pneumonia," he said.


Visit the Porter Health System website
Valparaiso Campus
814 LaPorte Avenue
Valparaiso, IN 46383
Phone: 219-263-4600

Talk to your doctor about immunizations you may need along with other ways to reduce your risk for illness.

To make an appointment with Dr. Gasper, call 219.464.9521. Dr. Gasper is a member of the medical staff at Porter.

Condition Is it contagious? Is there a vaccine? How to avoid it
Flu Yes Yes, annually Avoid people with the virus, as people with flu can spread it to others up to 6 feet away. It's contagious one day before symptoms develop and up to 7 days after becoming sick
Cold Yes No Avoid contact with others who have colds, keeping away from coughs and sneezes or contact with tissues, linens, shopping carts or other surfaces holding the virus.
Warts Yes No Avoid direct contact with others with warts or indirect contact with contaminated items, such as towels, clothing, shoes or bathing facilities
MRSA Yes No Avoid contact with open skin infections, and do not share personal items that touch your bare skin such as bar soap, razors or towels. Cover cuts and scrapes with a bandage to keep germs out.
Poison Ivy No No Avoid contact with the sap or resin from poison ivy plants. Promptly wash skin, clothing or any surfaces that have touched this resin to prevent the rash from affecting new areas of the body.
Shingles (varicella-zoster virus or "VZV") Kind of... Yes, one-time only You can't "catch" shingles from someone with shingles, but a person with shingles can infect others with chickenpox. So avoid those with shingles blisters until they're healed. Better yet, get the vaccine.
Streptococcus Yes No This is spread through saliva, so practice good hand washing and don't share glasses or utensils. Patients remain contagious for 24 hours after beginning antibiotics.
Pneumonia Yes Yes, one-time only Avoid contact with sick people, particularly avoiding large droplets from coughs or sneezes. Talk to your doctor about the vaccination.
Cold Sores/Fever Blisters Yes No Caused by the highly contagious herpes simplex virus, cold sores are spread through contact. Don't share utensils, razors, towels or kisses with anyone infect with a cold sore/fever blister.