This time of year, there are a number of viruses doing the rounds, and it can be hard to dodge the dreaded flu or common cold.

If you are unlucky enough to get struck down with illness, you will likely experience a range of symptoms, which can come and go in waves.

“Usually, when we think about the common cold, it’s a virus,” Dr Cheryl Lythgoe of Benenden Health explains to Yahoo UK. “With viruses, we can pick them up anywhere, really. They can live on surfaces and are really easily transmitted through coughs and sneezes.

“With the cold, specifically, the virus then multiplies in the body. The challenge with a cold, though, is that you may appear to be symptom-free, but in reality could be harbouring that virus. So you could be passing it on without even realising it,” she adds.

Here, Dr Lythgoe talks through the different stages of a cold, and how to protect yourself and others from illness.

The stages of a common cold

You may still be fit enough to go to work or school, but usually this is the stage when you are most contagious. (Getty Images)

**Days 1-3: **You could have a cold virus but may not be presenting all the usual symptoms yet. “Perhaps you have a slight sniffle or you’re not practising good hand hygiene,” Dr Lythgoe says.

Days 3-4: According to the expert, this is when you are likely to start feeling congested and develop a runny nose.

“Those early symptoms can take a good two or three days to really start developing and maturing, and what we find then is actually, from a contagion point of view, you’re really contagious during that time. So when you’re starting to think, ‘Oh, God, am I brewing something?’, that’s actually when you’re starting to pass it on and spread to other people as well,” she notes.

If you do feel that something is coming on, then, make sure that you’re staying on top of hand hygiene, and use a tissue or the crook of your arm if you sneeze or cough.

You may be spreading the virus before you reach the sofa/bed phase. (Getty Images)

**Days 4-5: **“This is when your symptoms are really at their worst,” Dr Lythgoe states. “Coughing, headaches, body aches – sometimes temperatures, though usually in babies and children rather than adults.”

You can also experience fatigue, tiredness and achiness. “That’s when your symptoms are at that peak level,” she adds, “but also when most people tend to isolate more – curling up on the sofa at home or sleeping it off in bed.”

Day 5 onwards: “That’s when you start hitting that recovery part of the illness,” Dr Lythgoe says. “Your body starts to recuperate and repair, and you might find that you’re not feeling quite as sick and that your energy levels are starting to come back. You could still be bunged up and a bit sniffly, but generally, you feel able to get back to normal life – just at a bit of a slower pace.”

While most people start making a recovery at this stage, the expert stresses that others can take a good two to three weeks to fully get back on their feet, particularly if they have a weakened immune system, underlying health conditions and pre-existing respiratory problems.

The best way to prevent and treat a cold

Getting a flu jab not only reduces the risk of you getting sick, it can benefit others. (Getty Images)

Wash your hands regularly

The best way to prevent catching a cold, per the expert, is to maintain good hand hygiene by regularly washing your hands with soap and hot water, or using antibacterial gel if you’re out and about.

Use a tissue

As well as catching sneezes or coughs in a tissue, you can use the crook of your arm to prevent droplets spreading. Once finished with the tissue, make sure you dispose of it and wash your hands and surfaces.

Avoid touching your face

The more you touch your face, the higher the risk of infection and spread.

Get vaccinated

Although the criteria for free flu jabs on the NHS is relatively strict, you can book in a vaccination at your nearest pharmacy for around £10-15. Some workplaces also offer them to staff as part of their benefits system. By getting vaccinated, you are increasing your immunity to nasty germs and viruses that are doing the rounds – which not only helps you stay fit and healthy, but also those around you.

Steam is one of the best ways to combat a cold. (Getty Images)

Food is fuel

Eating well is also really key – both for prevention and healing. “Your body needs vitamins, minerals and nutrients to make those good, healthy cells and hormones,” she adds.

Get out and about

While you should avoid contact with others and rest up where possible, Dr Lythgoe says that getting some fresh air can make all the difference when you’re sick.

“Get out into some green spaces, move the body a little bit, get some vitamin D into you,” she says. “All of those things can help with that recuperative stage that you’re going into.”

Get steamy

“Steam inhalation can definitely make things feel much better,” Dr Lythgoe says. “Menthol – so Vicks, Tiger Balm, Olbas Oil – also helps with that congestion and opens up the airways.”

Pop some paracetamol

“The thing with paracetamol is that it’s really cheap and readily available. Everybody thinks because you can buy it over the counter, it’s not effective. But actually, paracetamol helps from top to toe,” the expert concludes.

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