![]() Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, such as urinary tract infections, acne, and strep throat. Do I need antibiotics?Īccording to the CDC, an antibiotic will not get rid of a cold. These can all help prevent the virus from spreading. Also, make sure to wash your hands after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. If your child is sick, keep them out of daycare or school. If you’re sick, stay home from work or school. In fact, you’re most likely to spread the virus in the first 2 to 3 days when the symptoms peak. You may also be contagious for as long as you have symptoms. You’re generally contagious a few days before your symptoms start. But at this point, you should be on the mend, and the symptoms probably won’t be as bad. This is normal and does not mean you need an antibiotic.ġ0 days and beyond: Lingering symptoms can last up to 2 weeks in some people, especially runny nose, stuffy nose, and coughing. After 2 or 3 days of symptoms, the mucus discharged from your nose may change to a white, yellow, or green color. Symptoms level off and fade: Cold symptoms usually last anywhere from 3 to 10 days. The main symptoms include sore throat, stuffy nose, runny nose, cough, discomfort, sneezing, fever (more common in children), headaches, clear, watery discharge from your nose (mucus), and body aches. Symptoms peak: Cold symptoms peak at 1 to 3 days. However, it’s possible to develop symptoms as soon as 10 to 12 hours after exposure. Incubation: After you’re exposed to a cold virus, it typically takes 1 to 3 days for you to develop symptoms. This is the typical pattern, but it’s possible that you’ll experience the timing and stages slightly differently. What are the common cold stages and symptoms?Ĭolds and cold symptoms tend to follow a certain progression, which is outlined below. While the average time that cold symptoms last is 7 to 10 days, they can go on for as long as 3 weeks. This is different from the flu, where symptoms appear 1 to 7 days after the initial virus infection. But for most people, symptoms appear within 1 to 3 days after exposure to the virus. ![]() This can start happening within 8 to 10 hours of the initial infection. Once a cold virus enters one of your cells, it will start to create copies of itself that go on to infect other cells. How long should a typical common cold last? ![]() Each year, adults have an average of 2 to 3 colds, and children have even more. They can also be spread by shaking hands with an infected person or touching an infected surface and putting that hand to your eyes, nose, or mouth.Ĭolds are also more common in the fall and winter. More than 200 different viruses can cause a cold, but the rhinovirus is the most common culprit.Ĭolds are spread when you breathe in a virus that has been coughed or sneezed into the air by an infected person or have close personal contact with an infected person. ![]() What exactly is a cold?Ī cold is a virus that infects the upper respiratory tract (nose, sinuses, voice box, and throat). Below, we’ll take a look at its stages and answer questions you might have about them - such as how long you or your child is contagious and when to see a medical provider. While its symptoms and length might seem unpredictable, the common cold typically shows up in particular stages. It seems that you have not selected any location. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |