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.
Most people recover from a common cold in 7 to 10 days. Symptoms might last longer in people who smoke. Most often, you don't need medical care for a common cold. If symptoms don't get better or if they get worse, see your health care provider.
Illnesses of the nose and throat caused by germs are called upper respiratory tract infections.
Most often, common cold symptoms start 1 to 3 days after someone is exposed to a cold virus. Symptoms vary. They can include:
Runny or stuffy nose.
Sore or scratchy throat.
Cough.
Sneezing.
Generally feeling unwell.
Slight body aches or a mild headache.
Low-grade fever.
The mucus from your nose may start out clear and become thicker and yellow or green. This change is normal. Most often, it doesn't mean that you have a bacterial illness.
There's no cure for the common cold. Most cases of the common cold get better without treatment within 7 to 10 days. But a cough may last a few more days.
The best thing you can do is take care of yourself while your body heals. Care tips include:
Rest.
Drink plenty of liquids.
Humidify the air.
Use saline nasal rinses.
Antibiotics do not treat cold viruses. They are used to treat illnesses caused by bacteria.
Pain relievers
Pain relievers you can buy without a prescription can lessen the discomfort of a sore throat, headache or fever.
For adults. Nonprescription pain relief for adults includes:
Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others).
Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others).
For children. Guidelines for pain relief medicines for children include the following:
Do not give children or teenagers aspirin. Aspirin has been linked to Reye's syndrome, a rare life-threatening condition, in children or teenagers who have the flu or chickenpox.
Use children-strength, nonprescription pain relievers. These include children's acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others).
For children younger than 3 months old, don't use acetaminophen until your baby has been seen by a health care provider.
Don't give ibuprofen to a child younger than 6 months old or to children who are vomiting frequently.
Use these medicines for the shortest time possible and follow label directions to avoid side effects.
Call your health care provider if you have questions about the right dose.
Decongestant nasal sprays
For adults. Adults can use decongestant drops or sprays for up to five days. These help a stuffy nose. Prolonged use can cause the return of symptoms.
For children. Children younger than 6 years old shouldn't use decongestant drops or sprays. Talk to your doctor before using nasal decongestants in children older than 6 years.
Cough syrups
Nonprescription cough and cold medicines are used to treat the symptoms of coughs and colds, not the underlying disease. Research suggests that these medicines don't work any better to treat colds than a placebo, an inactive medicine used in research.
For adults. Follow these tips for nonprescription cough and cold medicines:
Read and follow the label directions.
Don't take two medicines with the same active ingredient, such as an antihistamine, decongestant or pain reliever. Too much of a single ingredient could lead to an accidental overdose.
For children. Nonprescription cough and cold medicines aren't typically recommended for children. These medicines have potentially serious side effects, including fatal overdoses in children younger than 2 years old. Talk to your child's doctor before using any nonprescription cough and cold medicine in children.
You usually don't need medical care for a common cold. But if symptoms get worse or don't go away, see your health care provider.
Most people with a common cold can be diagnosed by their symptoms. Your care provider may take a nasal or throat swab to rule out other illnesses. A chest X-ray may be ordered to rule out a lung illness.
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