Many types of viruses can cause a common cold. Healthy adults can expect to have two or three colds each year. Infants and young children may have even more frequent colds.
Most people recover from a common cold in a week or 10 days. Symptoms might last longer in people who smoke. Generally, you don't need medical attention for a common cold. However, if symptoms don't improve or if they get worse, see your doctor. Symptoms of a common cold usually appear one to three days after exposure to a cold-causing virus.
Signs and symptoms, which can vary from person to person, might include:. The discharge from your nose may start out clear and become thicker and yellow or green as a common cold runs its course. This doesn't usually mean you have a bacterial infection. For adults — generally, you don't need medical attention for a common cold.
However, seek medical attention if you have:. For children — in general, your child doesn't need to see his or her doctor for a common cold. But seek medical attention right away if your child has any of the following:.
A cold virus enters your body through your mouth, eyes or nose. The virus can spread through droplets in the air when someone who is sick coughs, sneezes or talks. Skip to content. First things first: Do you have a cold or the flu? Read: Is It a Cold or the Flu? When can I go back to work or school? The contagious period for the flu can last as long as days from when you first felt sick. An ounce of prevention. Common colds are the main reason that children miss school and adults miss work.
Each year in the United States, there are millions of cases of the common cold. Adults have an average of colds per year, and children have even more. Most people get colds in the winter and spring, but it is possible to get a cold any time of the year.
Symptoms usually include:. Most people recover within about days. However, people with weakened immune systems, asthma, or respiratory conditions may develop serious illness, such as bronchitis or pneumonia. Help reduce your risk of getting a cold by washing hands often with soap and water. Viruses that cause colds can spread from infected people to others through the air and close personal contact.
You can also get infected through contact with stool poop or respiratory secretions from an infected person. This can happen when you shake hands with someone who has a cold, or touch a surface, like a doorknob, that has respiratory viruses on it, then touch your eyes, mouth, or nose.
Practice good cough and sneeze etiquette: always cough and sneeze into a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve, completely covering your mouth and nose. The symptoms are the same in adults and children. Sometimes symptoms last longer in children.
Cold and flu symptoms are similar, but flu tends to be more severe. If you have a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste, it could be COVID You can buy cough and cold medicines from pharmacies or supermarkets. A pharmacist can advise you on the best medicine. Decongestants should not be given to children under 6. Children aged 6 to 12 should take them for no longer than 5 days.
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