Common cold (2024)

FAQs

Common cold? ›

The common cold is an illness affecting your nose and throat. Most often, it's harmless, but it might not feel that way. Germs called viruses cause a common cold. Often, adults may have two or three colds each year. Infants and young children may have colds more often.

And sometimes that happens. But more often, those pesky symptoms stick around and leave you feeling sneezy and sniffly. Colds usually last 3 to 7 days, but sometimes they hang on as long as 2 weeks. If you're under the weather for longer than that, one of these things could be to blame.

When infection occurs, a cold goes through four characteristic stages: incubation, early symptoms, peak symptoms, and recovery. As there is no cure for the common cold, treatment is focused on rest, fluids, and symptom relief.

Blowing your nose can help relieve some of your symptoms. It can make it easier to breathe and can make you feel less congested. However, it probably won't make your cold resolve any faster. Plus, there's evidence to suggest that blowing your nose can sometimes be harmful.

Taking vitamin C every day to try to prevent colds won't protect most people from colds. It only slightly shortens the amount of time that they're ill. Starting to take vitamin C once you already have cold symptoms won't have any effect on your cold.

The common cold is an infection of your nose, sinuses, throat and windpipe. Colds spread easily, especially within homes, classrooms and workplaces. More than 200 different viruses can cause colds. There's no cure for a common cold, but it usually goes away within a week to 10 days.

Once you develop symptoms, recovery from an uncomplicated cold usually takes about 7 to 10 days. Your infection continues to be contagious as long as you have symptoms. Since your infection is contagious from before your symptoms start until they improve, you can potentially pass the virus to others for up to 2 weeks.

Does sleeping all day help a cold? ›

Doctor's Response. Cold symptoms will go away on their own over time and rest is one of the best ways to help your body heal, so in a sense, you can sleep off a cold. Sleep helps boost the immune system and can help you recover from a cold more quickly. But sometimes, it's tough to sleep when you have a cold.

Keeping yourself well-hydrated helps alleviate your symptoms so you feel better faster; it also helps your immune system work efficiently, so you recover quickly. Luckily, the best self-care for a cold is very simple: Get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids.

The circadian rhythm — our 24-hour internal clock — signals immune cells to become more active at night. When these cells pinpoint germs, they fight them off by creating inflammation, which makes respiratory symptoms worse.

A reduction in symptoms means a cold is starting to go away. A person may feel less congested, no longer have a sore throat, or feel less tired, for example. Another sign the cold may be going away is if a person feels like resuming their usual activities or no longer notices their symptoms.

The common cold often follows a timeline, and it can last up to 3 weeks. Symptoms often take 1 to 3 days to develop and then peak at 1 to 3 days. Symptoms can last up to 10 days. Colds usually go away on their own, so you don't need to see a healthcare provider.

Contrary to popular belief, sweating doesn't expel cold viruses from our bodies. Its primary role is to regulate body temperature by releasing impurities, not to combat infections like colds directly. Though some think sweating out a cold can speed up recovery, there's no scientific support.

So far, there is only limited evidence that fasting improves symptoms or prevents the common cold or flu. On the other hand, a number of studies suggest that eating certain foods may improve cold and flu symptoms.

A reduction in symptoms means a cold is starting to go away. A person may feel less congested, no longer have a sore throat, or feel less tired, for example. Another sign the cold may be going away is if a person feels like resuming their usual activities or no longer notices their symptoms.