Some symptoms, especially runny or stuffy nose and cough, can last for up to 10 to 14 days. Those symptoms should improve over time.
The stages of a cold include the incubation period, appearance of symptoms, remission, and recovery.
Most colds go away on their own within seven to 10 days and don't turn into anything more serious. Common cold treatment includes over-the-counter (OTC) medications to help reduce your symptoms and keep you comfortable until you recover.
Symptoms level off and fade: Cold symptoms usually last anywhere from 3 to 10 days. After 2 or 3 days of symptoms, the mucus discharged from your nose may change to a white, yellow, or green color. This is normal and does not mean you need an antibiotic.
When is the worst day of a cold? The worst day of the common cold is often day two or three. That's when symptoms peak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If your sore throat is painful, lozenges and over-the-counter pain relievers, like acetaminophen and ibuprofen, can make you feel better.
Helen (Eleni) Xenos, a One Medical doctor in Chicago, describes the typical progression of the common cold: Day 1: Fatigue, headache, sore or scratchy throat. Day 2: Sore throat worsens, low fever, mild nasal congestion. Day 3: Congestion worsens, sinus and ear pressure become very uncomfortable.
Cold and flu symptoms such as a blocked nose or cough usually subside after 7-10 days and the absence of these things is quite an obvious indication that you are on the mend.
You need a lot of fluids when you're sick. They help thin your mucus, which makes your sinuses drain better. Just about any liquid will help. Water, juice, hot tea, and soup are all good.
Research shows that the immune system follows a circadian rhythm and that the cells involved in healing and inflammation tend to rev up in the evening. Some evidence suggests that more white blood cells (WBCs) are sent to your tissues to fight off infection during the night compared to the day.
You can spread the common cold from a few days before your symptoms appear until all of the symptoms are gone. Most people will be contagious for up to 2 weeks. Symptoms are usually worse during the first 2 to 3 days, and this is when you're most likely to spread the virus.
You're generally contagious with a cold 1-2 days before your symptoms start, and you could be contagious as long as your symptoms are present—in rare cases, up to 2 weeks. The contagious period for the flu can last as long as 5-7 days from when you first felt sick.
Days 3 to 5: Cough and More Nasal Congestion
You may notice that mucus from your runny nose has become thicker, with a yellow or green tinge. This usually is due to a spike in the number of white blood cells your immune system has dispatched to overcome the virus, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Are Colds Contagious? Colds are the most common infectious disease in the United States. They're very contagious, especially in the first 2–4 days after symptoms start. They can even spread for a couple of weeks after someone starts feeling sick.
Water is the best fluid to drink when you have a cold or flu as it helps lubricate the mucous membranes of the throat. Hot drinks are also a good choice as the hot steam they produce can relieve congestion.
If symptoms get worse, rather than better, after 3-7 days, you may have acquired a bacterial infection. These symptoms can also be caused by a cold virus other than a rhinovirus.
Stage 2 of a cold is days four through seven. Many people find that their symptoms get worse and peak during this time.
If you have a cold, you should follow these tips to help prevent spreading it to other people: Stay at home while you are sick and keep children out of school or daycare while they are sick. Avoid close contact with others, such as hugging, kissing, or shaking hands. Move away from people before coughing or sneezing.
Nose blowing can relieve some sinus pressure and provide comfort, but it cannot clear the bacterial or viral infection of the sinuses.
But unless you've got other symptoms like aches or fever, get dressed and go to work! If you've been sick for a few days and you now cough up darker yellow mucus, it's still probably just a cold. But if it goes on this way for more than a week, it's a good idea to see your doctor.
Vitamin C does not prevent colds and only slightly reduces their length and severity. A 2013 review of scientific literature found that taking vitamin C regularly did not reduce the likelihood of getting a cold but was linked to small improvements in cold symptoms.
The usual recovery period for a cold lasts seven days. 3 Cold symptoms may linger for up to two weeks but ought to improve during that time. 2 While two weeks may seem like a long period, the cold is usually worst at the start.