Common Cold

Quick Facts About the Common Cold

What is Common Cold?

Common cold refers to a highly contagious minor infection of your upper respiratory tract (i.e., your nose and your throat). 

Colds are extremely common in children compared to adults. Usually considered self-diagnosable and easily treatable with home remedies, adults generally get infected with a common cold 2 to 3 times annually, and children can get around 8 to 10 colds in a year before they turn 2 years of age. 

Most people start feeling better within a week to ten days. A lingering cough can sometimes stick around a little longer even after everything else has cleared up. 

The good news is that a common cold is almost always harmless. It is uncomfortable, but it rarely leads to anything serious on its own.

Common Cold Causes

The common cold is a viral infection of the respiratory tract. Common cold viruses cause inflammation of the membrane around your nose, windpipe (trachea), and throat. It is caused by many different viruses, most often the rhinovirus. Some coronaviruses can also cause a cold, but this is a different, milder group of viruses than the one responsible for COVID-19. Since there are many viruses that can cause a cold, it’s difficult for the body’s immune system to build resistance at all times to fight them all. 

How Does the Common Cold Spread?

The common cold is highly contagious and spreads easily from person to person.

Colds can transmit more quickly in school-going children than in adults due to their close physical contact with other kids, proximity while studying/playing, and poor personal hygiene habits (including touching common objects often, sharing personal items with peers, not washing hands regularly, not covering mouths while sneezing/coughing, etc.). 

The common cold spreads through contaminated droplets of a sick person when a healthy person inhales them as the former sneezes or coughs, and also when you touch your face after touching common objects like door handles or table surfaces that may again contain the virus of the ailing person. 

Moreover, the common cold spreads easily from person to person and returns from season to season.

Risk Factors for a Common Cold

Colds are more common in people with weakened immune systems, younger children, older people, and individuals with chronic health conditions like asthma, heart and lung diseases, diabetes, etc.

A few other factors can raise your chances of catching a cold too. Smoking, or regularly being around secondhand smoke, weakens the body's defenses against cold viruses. Spending time in crowded places like schools, offices, or public transport also increases exposure, simply because there are more people around who could be carrying the virus. The time of year plays a role as well; both children and adults tend to catch more colds during the colder months.

None of these factors guarantee you'll catch a cold, but they do make it more likely, which is exactly why the prevention habits in the next section matter more for some people than others.

Stages of a Common Cold

A cold usually moves through three recognisable stages, each bringing a slightly different mix of symptoms, which is part of why a cold can feel like it's changing shape as the days go on.

• Early stage: Day 1 to 3
• Active stage: Day 4 to 7, when symptoms typically peak
• Late stage: Day 8 to 10, when symptoms usually start easing off

Knowing roughly where you are in this timeline can help you tell a normal cold from something that needs closer attention. If symptoms get worse instead of better as you move through these stages, or if a fever returns after it has gone away, that's usually a sign to check in with a doctor rather than wait it out.

Symptoms Of Common Cold

Cold symptoms usually show up one to three days after you are exposed to the virus. Several symptoms of the common cold display a close similarity to symptoms of influenza (flu), which is part of why the two get confused so easily. The most common symptoms include:

• coughing 
• sneezing
• stuffy/runny/blocked nose 
• sore throat 
• slight headache 
• body pain 
• mild fever

Other symptoms that are comparatively rare and only observed in some patients include:

• muscle aching 
• joint pain
• chills
• tiredness
• low appetite
• loss of taste
• loss of smell
• pneumonia in extreme cases, in immunocompromised individuals

Infants and children can experience some more varied symptoms of the common cold, like -

1. A high body temperature (fever)
2. Disturbed sleep or sleeplessness
3. Irritable and cranky behavior
4. Difficulty swallowing
5. Breathing through the mouth
6. Increased drooling
7. Swollen glands
8. Vomiting after a coughing fit

These signs usually ease up on their own within a week or two, but keeping an eye on how a child is eating, sleeping, and behaving is often the fastest way to tell if something needs closer attention.

Diagnosis

Within one to three days after exposure to the virus, you may start to develop common cold symptoms. Colds can occur all year round; however, they are more prevalent during the rains and the winters. The fastest way to diagnose a common cold is to monitor your symptoms minutely. However, cold symptoms are often confused with symptoms of other conditions like Flu / Influenza, Allergies, and COVID-19. It’s advisable to report mild to severe symptoms in the nick of time to a medical practitioner to receive the best treatment.

Your doctor may ask for information about your symptoms while physically examining you, checking things like nasal swelling, throat redness, swollen glands in the neck, and your lungs, and running some tests to confirm if it's a cold or any other infection. This might include a nasal swab if flu or COVID-19 is suspected, or occasionally a chest X-ray to rule out complications like bronchitis or pneumonia.

Treatment

There is no cure for the common cold, but several treatments and home remedies can help ease symptoms and make recovery more comfortable.

1. Ample rest
2. Good sleep
3. Intake of warm liquids 
4. Home remedies like having hot water mixed with honey and lemon, steam inhalation, saltwater gargling, etc.
5. Using a humidifier or cool mist vaporizer to ease congestion
6. Over-the-counter medication for symptoms like cough, fever, body pain (children under 6 should not be given OTC cough or cold medicines, though acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help with fever under a doctor's guidance)
7. Nasal drops to reduce congestion

These steps won't cure the cold any faster, but they make the days in between noticeably more manageable while your body clears the virus on its own. There is no vaccination for the common cold specifically, and a flu shot does not safeguard against the common cold virus.

Recovery Time for a Common Cold

Most people start feeling better within a week to ten days, and a cold on its own is rarely anything serious.

You're contagious before you even notice symptoms, sometimes a day or two ahead, and you stay contagious until your symptoms clear up completely, usually one to two weeks in total. You're most likely to pass it on during the first three days, when symptoms tend to be at their worst.

A cough can be the exception to this timeline. It sometimes lingers for a few weeks after everything else has cleared up, which is normal and not usually a sign that something else is wrong.

When to Seek Medical Help for a Common Cold

Most people don’t see a doctor for common cold treatment. However, seek medical help in the following situations:

• Your body temperature doesn’t come down, and fever stays for a longer period
• You are facing difficulty in breathing, wheezing, or chest pain
• Symptoms aggravate instead of receding
• Symptoms last more than 10 days without improving
• You notice signs of dehydration
• Other health complications get triggered along with common cold
• Symptoms of common cold keep relapsing every now and then
• Home remedies or OTC medications are not working in your body as expected, offering no relief
• Any other unexplained signs or adverse changes that you may see in your body

If any of these show up, it's worth getting checked rather than waiting it out, since they can sometimes point to a secondary infection or a different illness altogether.

For Infants and Children

While the general list above applies to most people, babies and young children need closer attention since they can't always describe how they feel. Seek medical care for a baby or child if you notice:

• A fever in an infant younger than 3 months old
• A rising fever, or one that lasts more than two days
• Difficulty breathing, fast breathing, or wheezing
• Bluish lips or skin
• Unusual limpness or difficulty waking up
• Ear pain
• Unusual fussiness, drowsiness, or crying more than normal
• Refusing to eat or drink, or showing signs of dehydration
• Symptoms that seem to be getting worse instead of better

These signs point to something that needs urgent attention rather than home care, so it's best to get a baby or child checked right away if any of them show up.

Complications of a Common Cold

A cold is usually mild and clears up on its own, but it can sometimes lead to further health troubles, especially in high-risk groups. These are the complications to watch for: 

• Middle ear infection
• Sinusitis
• Bronchitis
• Pneumonia
• Worsening of asthma
• Worsening of COPD

Most people with a cold never run into any of these, but it's worth keeping an eye out for them, especially if symptoms seem to be getting worse instead of better.

Common Cold vs Flu vs COVID-19 vs Allergies

Note: Symptoms can overlap considerably, and some people with COVID-19 may experience only mild cold-like symptoms. Testing may be needed to distinguish between these conditions, especially if COVID-19 is suspected.

How To Prevent Common Cold?

There is no sure way to prevent the common cold infection completely, as there are over 200 respiratory viruses that can cause cold symptoms in humans. However, here’s what you can do to stay healthy and avoid colds. 

• Cough and sneeze into your elbow to avoid infected droplets from spreading into the air and affecting other people around. You can even use a tissue or handkerchief. Remember to dispose of the used tissues properly.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth frequently. Ensure that you have washed your hands well with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before doing so. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol regularly.
• Keep your surroundings clean, and disinfect areas often.
• Avoid close contact with people who are showing cold-like symptoms.
• Eat healthy, sleep well, drink enough liquids, and exercise regularly to stay fit.
• Do not share personal items like towels, toys, plates, and cups with others, especially if you/they are feeling unwell.
• If you have common cold symptoms, then stay indoors and isolate yourself in order to not spread the infection to family members and others who fall in the high-risk category (children, older people, individuals with poor health, members with metabolic disorders, etc.) 

None of these steps guarantee you'll avoid a cold entirely, but together they lower how often you catch one and how easily it spreads to the people around you. 

Key Takeaways

• The common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract, most commonly caused by rhinoviruses.
• More than 200 different viruses can cause cold symptoms, which is why people can catch colds repeatedly.
• Symptoms usually begin 1 to 3 days after exposure and improve within 7 to 10 days.
• Common symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough, and mild fatigue.
• The common cold spreads through respiratory droplets, close contact, and contaminated surfaces.
• Rest, fluids, and symptom-relieving medications can help you feel better, but antibiotics do not treat the common cold.
• Seek medical attention if symptoms worsen, breathing becomes difficult, or symptoms persist for more than 10 days.
• Good hand hygiene, avoiding close contact with sick individuals, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk of catching and spreading a cold.

Common Cold Care With First Response Healthcare (FRH)

A cold usually clears up on its own, but there are times it's worth having a professional take a closer look, especially when a child, an older family member, or someone with an existing health condition is involved. First Response Healthcare (FRH) offers at-home medical care for exactly these situations, so you don't have to leave the comfort of your home to get checked out.

Whether it's a fever that won't come down, breathing trouble, or symptoms that just aren't improving, FRH's team can assess and treat common cold complications right where you are, including immune-boosting IV therapy during cold and flu season. 

FAQs

How long does a common cold usually last?

Most people feel better within a week to ten days. A cough can sometimes stick around for a few weeks longer, even after everything else has cleared up. 

Am I still contagious even if I don't have symptoms yet?

Yes. You can start spreading a cold a day or two before your own symptoms show up, and you stay contagious until they've fully gone.

Can I get a flu shot to protect against colds too?

No. The flu vaccine only protects against influenza, not the many other viruses that cause a common cold. 

Why can't scientists just make a vaccine for the common cold?

Because so many different viruses, over 200 of them, can cause a cold, it's not practical to develop one vaccine that protects against all of them.

Do I need antibiotics for a cold?

No. Colds are caused by viruses, and antibiotics only work against bacterial infections, so they won't help you recover faster.

Does a cold always come with a fever?

Not necessarily, and it depends on age. Fever is more common in children than in adults with a common cold, and when it does happen, it's usually low-grade.

Will over-the-counter medicine make my cold go away faster?

No. OTC medicines can ease symptoms like congestion, cough, or fever, but they don't shorten how long the cold actually lasts.