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.
Symptoms
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.
When to see a doctor
For adults. Most often, you don't need medical care for a common cold. But see your health care provider if you have:Symptoms that get worse or do not get better.
Fever greater than 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit (38.5 degrees Celsius) that lasts more than three days.
Fever returning after a fever-free period.
Shortness of breath.
Wheezing.
Intense sore throat, headache, or sinus pain.
For children. Most children with a common cold don't need to see a healthcare provider. Get medical care right away if your child has any of the following:Fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in newborns up to 12 weeks.
Rising fever or fever lasting more than two days in a child of any age.
More intense symptoms, such as headache, throat pain or cough.
Trouble with breathing or wheezing.
Ear pain.
Fussiness or drowsiness that isn't typical.
No interest in eating.
Causes
Many viruses can cause a common cold. Rhinoviruses are the most common cause.
A cold virus enters the body through the mouth, eyes, or nose. The virus can spread by:Droplets in the air when someone who is sick coughs, sneezes, or talks.
Hand-to-hand contact with someone who has a cold.
Sharing objects with the virus on them, such as dishes, towels, toys, or telephones.
Touching your eyes, nose, or mouth after contact with the virus.
Risk factors
These factors can increase the chances of getting a cold:Age. Infants and young children have a greater risk of colds than other people, especially if they spend time in childcare settings.
Weakened immune system. Having a long-term illness or weakened immune system increases your risk.
Time of year. Both children and adults are more likely to get colds in fall and winter.
Smoking. Smoking or being around secondhand smoke increases the risk of catching a cold.
Exposure. Being in crowds, such as at school or on an airplane, increases the chance of getting a cold.
Complications
These conditions can occur along with your cold:Middle ear infection. This is the swelling and build-up of fluids in the space behind the eardrum. It may be caused by a virus or bacteria. Typical signs and symptoms include earaches or the return of a fever following a common cold.
Asthma. A cold can trigger wheezing, even in people who don't have asthma. For people with asthma, a cold can make it worse.
Sinusitis. In adults or children, a common cold that lasts a while can lead to swelling and pain in the sinuses. These are air-filled spaces in the skull above the eyes and around the nose. A virus or bacteria may cause sinusitis.
Other illnesses. A common cold can lead to illnesses of the lungs, such as pneumonia or bronchitis. People with asthma or weakened immune systems have an increased risk of these conditions.
Prevention
There's no vaccine for the common cold. You can take these steps to slow the spread of the virus and prevent illness:Wash your hands. Wash your hands well and often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water aren't available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Teach your children the importance of hand-washing. Try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
Clean and disinfect. Clean and disinfect surfaces that are touched often. These include doorknobs, light switches, electronics, and kitchen and bathroom countertops. This is especially important when someone in your family has a cold. Wash children's toys often.
Cover your cough. Sneeze and cough into tissues. Throw away used tissues right away, and then wash your hands. If you don't have a tissue, sneeze or cough into the bend of your elbow, and then wash your hands.
Don't share. Don't share drinking glasses or silverware with other family members.
Stay away from people with colds. Avoid close contact with anyone who has a cold. Stay out of crowds when possible. Try not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth when you're in crowds.
Review your child care center's policies. Look for a childcare setting with good hygiene practices and clear policies about keeping sick children at home.
Take care of yourself. Eat well, exercise, and get plenty of sleep to help you stay healthy.
Cold remedies that work
If you catch a cold, you can expect to be sick for one to two weeks. That doesn't mean you have to be miserable. These remedies might help you feel better:Stay hydrated. Water, juice, clear broth, or warm lemon water with honey helps loosen congestion and prevents dehydration. Avoid alcohol, coffee, and caffeinated sodas, which can make dehydration worse.
Rest. Your body needs rest to heal.
Soothe a sore throat. A saltwater gargle — 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt dissolved in an 8-ounce glass of warm water — can temporarily relieve a sore or scratchy throat. Children younger than 6 years are unlikely to be able to gargle properly.
You can also try ice chips, sore throat sprays, lozenges or hard candy. Use caution when giving lozenges or hard candy to children because they can choke on them. Don't give lozenges or hard candy to children younger than 6 years.
Combat stuffiness. Over-the-counter saline nasal drops and sprays can help relieve stuffiness and congestion.
In infants, experts recommend putting several saline drops into one nostril, then gently suctioning that nostril with a bulb syringe. To do this, squeeze the bulb, gently place the syringe tip in the nostril about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (about 6 to 12 millimeters), and slowly release the bulb. Saline nasal sprays may be used in older children.
Relieve pain. For children 6 months or younger, give only acetaminophen. For children older than 6 months, give either acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Ask your child's doctor for the correct dose for your child's age and weight.
Adults can take acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or aspirin.
Use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers. Though aspirin is approved for use in children older than age 3, children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin. This is because aspirin has been linked to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, in such children.
Sip warm liquids. A cold remedy used in many cultures, taking in warm liquids, such as chicken soup, tea or warm apple juice, might be soothing and might ease congestion by increasing mucus flow.
Try honey. Honey may help coughs in adults and children who are older than age 1. Try it in hot tea.
Add moisture to the air. A cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier can add moisture to your home, which might help loosen congestion. Change the water daily, and clean the unit according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Try over-the-counter (OTC) cold and cough medications. For adults and children age 5 and older, OTC decongestants, antihistamines, and pain relievers might offer some symptom relief. However, they won't prevent a cold or shorten its duration, and most have some side effects.
Experts agree that these shouldn't be given to younger children. Overuse and misuse of these medications can cause serious damage. Talk with your child's doctor before giving any medications.
Take medications only as directed. Some cold remedies contain multiple ingredients, such as a decongestant plus a pain reliever, so read the labels of cold medications you take to make sure you're not taking too much of any medication.
Cold remedies that don't work
The list of ineffective cold remedies is long. Some of the more common ones that don't work include:Antibiotics. These attack bacteria, but they're no help against cold viruses. Avoid asking your doctor for antibiotics for a cold or using old antibiotics you have on hand. You won't get well any faster, and inappropriate use of antibiotics contributes to the serious and growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Over-the-counter cold and cough medications in young children. OTC cold and cough medications may cause serious and even life-threatening side effects in children. Talk with your child's doctor before giving any medications.
Cold remedies with conflicting evidence
Despite ongoing studies, the scientific jury is still out on some popular cold remedies, such as vitamin C and echinacea. Here's an update on some common alternative remedies:
Vitamin C. It appears that taking vitamin C won't usually help the average person prevent colds.
However, some studies have found that taking vitamin C before cold symptoms start may shorten the length of time you have symptoms. Vitamin C may benefit people at high risk of colds due to frequent exposure — for example, children who attend group child care during the winter.
Echinacea. Study results on whether echinacea prevents or shortens colds are mixed. Some studies show no benefit. Others show some reduction in the severity and duration of cold symptoms when taken in the early stages of a cold. Different types of echinacea used in different studies may have contributed to the mixed results.
Echinacea seems to be most effective if you take it when you notice cold symptoms and continue it for seven to 10 days. It appears to be safe for healthy adults, but it can interact with many drugs. Check with your doctor before taking echinacea or any other supplement.
Zinc. Several studies have suggested that zinc supplements may reduce the length of a cold. But research has turned up mixed results about zinc and colds.
Some studies show that zinc lozenges or syrup reduce the length of a cold by about one day, especially when taken within 24 to 48 hours of the first signs and symptoms of a cold.
Zinc also has potentially harmful side effects. Talk to your doctor before considering the use of zinc to prevent or reduce the length of colds.
