How long do colds normally last

You can help your cold go away faster if you know how to treat it. Here are some home remedies to treat a cold without medicine:. Here are some of the most common cold medicines that work best for treating colds:.

Even though most common colds will resolve on their own, they sometimes require medical attention. We are here to help, even if sometimes the help is just advice not everything needs a prescription.

If you have a cold plus an underlying medical condition, it may also be a good idea to see your primary care provider. In rare circumstances, cold viruses can lead to secondary upper respiratory infections like sinus or middle ear infections. A cold accompanied by sinus pain, swollen glands, or a mucus-producing cough could indicate a secondary infection that requires medical attention.

If you have shortness of breath, fatigue, loss of appetite, a cough, or a fever, it may be a good idea to contact your healthcare provider and get tested for coronavirus. Avoiding close contact with sick people, wearing a mask, and using hand sanitizer are good ways to reduce your chances of getting a cold virus or COVID These symptoms typically last a couple of days. About 2 to 3 days after you first started feeling under the weather your symptoms will likely be at their worst.

In addition to a sore, scratchy throat and fatigue, you may also develop the following symptoms:. During this time, you may notice that your nasal discharge has turned to a yellow or green color.

This is a sign that your body has been actively fighting the infection. Some people may also have a lingering cough or fatigue. In some cases, a cough can last for several weeks. On average, children get more colds in a year than adults.

In fact, while an average adult may experience two to four colds in a year, children may have between six and eight. The duration of a cold can be longer in children — up to 2 weeks. While cold symptoms are similar in children and adults, some additional symptoms in children include:.

Although most children will get better within a couple weeks, you should keep an eye out for possible complications. These include:. The best way to treat a common cold is to focus on alleviating the symptoms until the infection has run its course. OTC pain relievers can help relieve symptoms like fever, headache, and aches and pains.

Some options include ibuprofen Advil, Motrin , aspirin , and acetaminophen Tylenol. There are many types of OTC medications that can help relieve cold symptoms like nasal congestion, watery eyes, and cough. Consider these OTC medications:. Some cough and cold medications have caused serious side effects in young children and infants, such as slowed breathing.

The common cold is contagious. This means that it can be passed from person to person. Most colds symptoms typically get better within a week or two.

Generally speaking, you should see a doctor if symptoms last longer than 10 days without improvement. Additionally, there are some other symptoms to watch out for. Follow up with your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms:. Whether you feel like sleeping around the clock or just taking things a bit easier, pay attention to what your body is telling you when you have a cold. A warm bath or heating pad can soothe aches and pains, and the steam from a hot shower can help you breathe more easily.

Don't worry about whether to feed a cold or starve a fever. Just eat when you're hungry. And you might have heard that chicken soup can cure a cold. There's no real proof of this, but sick people have been swearing by it for more than years. Teens who catch colds usually don't get very sick or need medical attention. But talk to a doctor if any of these things happen to you:. You should see your doctor if you think you might have more than a cold or if you're getting worse instead of getting better.

A doctor won't be able to identify which specific virus is causing a cold. But your doctor can check your throat and ears and possibly also take a throat culture to make sure your symptoms due to another condition. A throat culture is a simple procedure that involves brushing the inside of the throat with a long cotton swab. Examining the germs on the swab will help determine whether you have strep throat and need treatment with antibiotics. If your doctor does prescribe antibiotics, be sure to take them exactly as directed.

If you stop taking them too soon — even if you're feeling better — the infection may not go away and you can develop other problems. Sooner or later everybody catches a cold. But you can strengthen your immune system's infection-fighting ability by exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, and getting enough rest.

Although some people recommend alternative treatments for colds such as zinc and vitamin C in large doses, or herbal products such as echinacea , none of these is proven to prevent or effectively treat colds.

Because herbal products can have negative side effects, lots of doctors don't recommend them. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What's a Cold?

What Causes Colds?