The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that most people typically recover from the common cold within seven to ten days. The life cycle of a cold can be categorized into three general stages along with several symptoms.
The three stages of a common cold and their symptoms are:
- Stage 1
- Sore throat
- Runny nose or stuffy nose with some clear mucous
- Fatigue
- Stage 2 – starts two to three days after stage 1 and in addition to the symptoms of Stage 1, the following are experienced:
- Congestion
- Mild aches
- Sneezing
- Cough
- Stage 3 – typically the symptoms found in stage 1 and stage 2 start to subside. A cough, stuffy nose and runny nose may be the last symptoms to subside.
Babies and young children may also experience fever, vomiting, watery eyes, chills, headaches and extreme fatigue.
Many people who have the symptoms of a cold can benefit from:
- Getting plenty of rest
- Drinking fluids
- Using a humidifier
- Using a saline nasal spray
- Taking cough medicine
- Drinking hot water with honey and lemon
Speak to you doctor if the symptoms of a cold do not start to improve after the first week. Do not take any medications without discussing them with your doctor first. If you would like to schedule an appointment with a physician at Flushing Hospital Medical Center, please call 718-670-5486.
All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.