Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesIncubationEarly SymptomsPeak SymptomsRecoveryWhat Affects Cold DurationNext in Cold GuideHow Long Are You Contagious With a Cold?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Incubation
Early Symptoms
Peak Symptoms
Recovery
What Affects Cold Duration
Next in Cold Guide
Thecommon coldusually goes away in less than a week.How long a cold lasts depends largely on your age, general health, and the type of cold virus you get.
Cold infections, which affect the upper respiratory tract (nose, sinuses, and throat), progress through four stages: incubation, early symptoms, peak symptoms, and recovery. You may develop different symptoms at each stage.
Various home remedies and over-the-counter medications may help ease these symptoms, However, there is no cure for the common cold,
How to Tell a Cold From the Flu
What Causes a Common Cold
Rhinovirus is the most common cause, accounting for between half and two-thirds of all colds.All of these viruses follow a pattern from the time a person is infected to when theimmune systemgets the infection under control.
How Cold Symptoms DevelopCold viruses typically spread when an infected person coughs or sneezesThis sends into the air respiratory droplets that are carrying the virusThose enter your nose or mouthThe virus rapidly multiplies and triggers an immune response in the form ofinflammationInflammation and the response to the inflammation cause cold symptoms: pain, fever, congestion, runny nose, and aches.
How Cold Symptoms Develop
Cold viruses typically spread when an infected person coughs or sneezesThis sends into the air respiratory droplets that are carrying the virusThose enter your nose or mouthThe virus rapidly multiplies and triggers an immune response in the form ofinflammationInflammation and the response to the inflammation cause cold symptoms: pain, fever, congestion, runny nose, and aches.
What Your Body Does When You Catch a Cold
Stage 1: Incubation
Theincubation periodis the time between when you are infected and when you get the first symptoms—so you don’t display symptoms until after the incubation period has passed.
With most cold viruses, but rhinovirus in particular, the incubation period is very short. Typically, you’ll first show symptoms 24 hours after being infected.However, it may take as little as 12 hours or as long as 72 hours for you to feel ill from rhinoviruses.
Some other cold viruses take longer. For example, the incubation period lasts up to five-and-a-half days for adenoviruses.
When Is Cold Season?
Stage 2: Early Symptoms
Stage 2 of a common cold lasts approximately one to three days from the first appearance of symptoms. It usually starts with a scratchy sensation in the back of the throat, progressing to a sore throat.
You may also have a runny nose and feel more tired than usual. Sneezing and congestion are also common.
As soon as symptoms appear,you are contagious. This means that you can spread the virus to others unless you take precautions like staying home, covering coughs and sneezes, and washing your hands frequently.
Common Cold Self-Care: 10 Ways to Heal From Home
Stage 3: Peak Symptoms
Stage 3 usually lasts from day four to day seven. At this stage, the immune defenses have fully kicked in. Your frontline innate immunity attacks all foreign invaders, and your secondaryadaptive immunitytargets the type of virus you have.
During this stage, you’ll probably feel your worst as symptoms become more severe.
The symptoms of stage 3 may include body aches, coughing, hoarseness, constant sneezing or runny nose, and severe congestion with postnasal drip. You may develop a fever, but this is more common in children than adults.A fever is also rare with rhinovirus infections.
At this stage, rest is key to getting over the cold faster. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications likeTylenol (acetaminophen)can help control fever, but contact a healthcare professional if you have a fever higher than 105 degrees F or one that lasts longer than 48 to 72 hours.
To avoid dehydration, drink plenty of fluids. Adults can use OTCdecongestantsor cough suppressants to ease cold symptoms, but research suggests they don’t help children.Speak with your child’s pediatrician before using any cold and flu medication.
A Warning to Parents
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also advises against the use of cough & cold medicines in children under 2 years due to their smaller size which increases the risk of severe side effects.
Stage 4: Recovery
Some people may develop a nagging cough, called apostinfectious cough, that can persist for up to eight weeks. It is mostly due to lingering inflammation that causes postnasal drip. It is more common withinfluenza (flu)andCOVID-19but can also occur with severe colds.
People with postinfectious cough are not usually contagious as long as their other symptoms have cleared.
If you develop a lingering cough, speak with your healthcare provider to ensure that you haven’t developed complications likepneumonia.
Factors That Affect the Duration of Colds
People with strong immune systems can often get over a cold in a few days. However, mild symptoms develop into a more serious infection in those with lower immunity, including infants, older adults, and people with underlying health conditions including immunocompromised persons.
Factors that put you at risk for a cold that lasts more than a week include:
How Long Is a Cold Contagious?
Summary
A Word From VerywellColds are very common, and taking good care of them and yourself is very important. Remember that good hygiene, proper nutrition and hydration, and moisture can help prevent and treat colds.—KASHIF J. PIRACHA, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
Colds are very common, and taking good care of them and yourself is very important. Remember that good hygiene, proper nutrition and hydration, and moisture can help prevent and treat colds.—KASHIF J. PIRACHA, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Colds are very common, and taking good care of them and yourself is very important. Remember that good hygiene, proper nutrition and hydration, and moisture can help prevent and treat colds.
—KASHIF J. PIRACHA, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
12 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Center for Disease Control and Prevention.About Common Cold.Weston S, Frieman MB.Respiratory viruses.Encyclopedia Microbiol.2019:85–101. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-801238-3.66161-5Chen L, Deng H, Cui H.Inflammatory responses and inflammation-associated disease in organs.Oncotarget.2018;9(6):7204-18. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.23208Passioti M, Maggina P, Megremis S, Papadopoulos NG.The common cold: potential for future prevention or cure.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2014;14(2):413. doi:10.1007/s11882-013-0413-5Turner RB.The common cold.Mandell Douglas Bennett Princip Pract Infect Dis.2015;748–52.e2. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4557-4801-3.00058-8MedlinePlus.Fever.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Reye syndrome.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Should you give kids medicine for coughs and colds?Chen Y, Zhang X, Zeng X, et al. Prevalence and risk factors for postinfectious cough in discharged patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).J Thorac Dis.2022 Jun;14(6):2079–88. doi:10.21037/jtd-21-876Eccles R.Common cold.Front Allergy.2023;4:1224988. doi:10.3389/falgy.2023.1224988National Council on Aging.A common-sense guide to the common cold for older adults.American Lung Association.Facts about the common cold.
12 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Center for Disease Control and Prevention.About Common Cold.Weston S, Frieman MB.Respiratory viruses.Encyclopedia Microbiol.2019:85–101. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-801238-3.66161-5Chen L, Deng H, Cui H.Inflammatory responses and inflammation-associated disease in organs.Oncotarget.2018;9(6):7204-18. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.23208Passioti M, Maggina P, Megremis S, Papadopoulos NG.The common cold: potential for future prevention or cure.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2014;14(2):413. doi:10.1007/s11882-013-0413-5Turner RB.The common cold.Mandell Douglas Bennett Princip Pract Infect Dis.2015;748–52.e2. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4557-4801-3.00058-8MedlinePlus.Fever.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Reye syndrome.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Should you give kids medicine for coughs and colds?Chen Y, Zhang X, Zeng X, et al. Prevalence and risk factors for postinfectious cough in discharged patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).J Thorac Dis.2022 Jun;14(6):2079–88. doi:10.21037/jtd-21-876Eccles R.Common cold.Front Allergy.2023;4:1224988. doi:10.3389/falgy.2023.1224988National Council on Aging.A common-sense guide to the common cold for older adults.American Lung Association.Facts about the common cold.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention.About Common Cold.Weston S, Frieman MB.Respiratory viruses.Encyclopedia Microbiol.2019:85–101. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-801238-3.66161-5Chen L, Deng H, Cui H.Inflammatory responses and inflammation-associated disease in organs.Oncotarget.2018;9(6):7204-18. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.23208Passioti M, Maggina P, Megremis S, Papadopoulos NG.The common cold: potential for future prevention or cure.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2014;14(2):413. doi:10.1007/s11882-013-0413-5Turner RB.The common cold.Mandell Douglas Bennett Princip Pract Infect Dis.2015;748–52.e2. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4557-4801-3.00058-8MedlinePlus.Fever.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Reye syndrome.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Should you give kids medicine for coughs and colds?Chen Y, Zhang X, Zeng X, et al. Prevalence and risk factors for postinfectious cough in discharged patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).J Thorac Dis.2022 Jun;14(6):2079–88. doi:10.21037/jtd-21-876Eccles R.Common cold.Front Allergy.2023;4:1224988. doi:10.3389/falgy.2023.1224988National Council on Aging.A common-sense guide to the common cold for older adults.American Lung Association.Facts about the common cold.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention.About Common Cold.
Weston S, Frieman MB.Respiratory viruses.Encyclopedia Microbiol.2019:85–101. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-801238-3.66161-5
Chen L, Deng H, Cui H.Inflammatory responses and inflammation-associated disease in organs.Oncotarget.2018;9(6):7204-18. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.23208
Passioti M, Maggina P, Megremis S, Papadopoulos NG.The common cold: potential for future prevention or cure.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2014;14(2):413. doi:10.1007/s11882-013-0413-5
Turner RB.The common cold.Mandell Douglas Bennett Princip Pract Infect Dis.2015;748–52.e2. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4557-4801-3.00058-8
MedlinePlus.Fever.
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Reye syndrome.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Should you give kids medicine for coughs and colds?
Chen Y, Zhang X, Zeng X, et al. Prevalence and risk factors for postinfectious cough in discharged patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).J Thorac Dis.2022 Jun;14(6):2079–88. doi:10.21037/jtd-21-876
Eccles R.Common cold.Front Allergy.2023;4:1224988. doi:10.3389/falgy.2023.1224988
National Council on Aging.A common-sense guide to the common cold for older adults.
American Lung Association.Facts about the common cold.
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