How long does the common cold last?

Introduction of cold

Colds are an allergy or viral infection of your upper respiratory tract, which includes your throat & nose. Like the average cold, head colds are distinct from chest colds, which might damage your lower airways and lungs and cause chest congestion and mucous coughing.

A cold can deplete your vitality and leave you feeling very unpleasant. Having a runny or stuffy nose, a sore throat, a cough, & watery eyes may really get in the way of going about your regular routine. Keep reading this blog to learn more about common cold symptoms and their treatment.

How long does a common cold last?

Cold duration for children vs. adults

Generally, for most adult people, cold symptoms stay for almost 7-10 days. If we talk about children, common cold symptoms might stay up to 14 days (2 weeks) in them.

Children typically experience more colds each year than adults do. In reality, children may get between six and eight colds per year, compared to the average adult's two to four.

About cold symptoms

Common cold symptoms typically have three stages, each with a unique set of symptoms.

Early symptoms

After contracting the virus, symptoms of a cold might start as quickly as 10 to 12 hours later. You could notice that you have less energy than usual and that your throat feels irritated or scratchy. Generally, these symptoms disappear after a few days.

Peak symptoms

Your symptoms will probably be at their worst 2 to 3 days after you first start to feel under the weather. You may experience the following symptoms in addition to a scratchy, sore throat:

• Watery eyes, sneezing
• Congested or runny nose
• Cough, headache, low-grade fever

Late symptoms

You'll probably continue to experience nasal congestion for an additional 3 to 5 days as your cold progresses. You might notice that your nasal discharge has changed to a yellow or green color during this period. This is a symptom that your body has been fighting the infection actively.

Some individuals might also have fatigue or lingering cough. In a few cases, a cough might stay for various weeks. You may choose a cold medicine to treat your cold.

Do you want to know the best medicine for the common cold? You have to chase all lines of this blog to break your curiosity. We will discuss it in further lines.

Common cold signs in children

While children and adults both experience similar cold symptoms, children also experience several extra signs and symptoms, such as:

• Problem in sleeping
• Decreased appetite, irritability
• The problem with breastfeeding or taking a bottle

Even though the majority of kids will recover in a few weeks, you should watch out for any potential issues. These include:

Chest infection

Look for breathing-related symptoms, including fast breathing, wheezing, or nostril widening.

Ear infection

Keep an eye out for symptoms of ear pain, including rubbing or itching your ears and enlarged irritability.

Sinus infection

Constipation and nasal discharge that stays longer than ten days, as well as facial pain and sometimes a fever, are warning signs. These are the few common cold symptoms in kids.

How long does a cold-related stuffy nose last?

A stuffy nose is one of the most common cold symptoms because having a cold raises the levels of inflammatory substances in your nose. Your nose may become swollen and drain as a result of these substances, making it feel "stuffy."

While it typically takes almost two days or 48 hours from the time you get a cold virus until your symptoms start to show. Some individuals have stuffy nose symptoms as soon as the cold virus reaches their nasal passages.

After the virus first touches your nose, the compounds that cause nasal irritation often reach their peak 48 to 72 hours later. Your runny nose will likely be at its worst at this time, although it might continue for a few more days.

Before common later-stage symptoms like a cough, your stuffy nose will probably start to clear up. You might be able to relieve your nasal congestion by:

Using a heat compress

A warm, damp washcloth or towel placed over your nose might help reduce pain and swelling in your nostrils.

Breathing in steam

Thin out the mucus in your nose by taking a shower or leaning over a bowl of steaming hot water. It might help decrease inflammation & make it comfortable to breathe. A humidifier can also help in calming inflamed nasal tissue.

Maintaining hydration

Increasing your fluid intake can assist in relieving sinus pressure and thinning down nasal mucus. As we discussed, a stuffy nose is a common cold symptom. You may try all these ideas if you want to treat a stuffy nose.

How long does a cold-related runny nose last?

A common side effect of a cold issue is nasal discharge, sometimes referred to as a runny nose. A runny nose often peaks 2-3 days after your symptoms first appear, although it can stay up to a week. Usually, a runny nose begins with clear, watery mucous.

Your cold may thicken and take on more of a yellow or green tint as it worsens. The change in color is positive. It indicates that your immune system has activated and your WBC (white blood cells) are fighting off the cold virus.

However, if your nasal discharge is green or yellow in color & stays more than ten days, it might be a sign that a bacterial infection is causing the symptoms of your runny nose, & not a viral illness.

What causes the common cold?

While several different viruses can cause the common cold, rhinoviruses are the most frequent cause. Your eyes, lips, or nose are the main entry points for the cold virus.

The virus might spread via droplets in the air when somebody who is sick sneezes, coughs, or talks. Next time someone asks you what causes the common cold, you can share this blog with them.

Treatment of cold

If you want to treat a cold, you may try some cold-relieving medicines. Along with drugs, you may try some home remedies to remove common cold symptoms.

Best medicine for the common cold

Codeine

If you want to treat your cough and cold, you may take the help of Codeine. It is one of the safe and FDA-approved drugs to treat cold symptoms. It's an opioid drug that is generally used to treat pain also.

You may buy Codeine online from our website at a discounted rate.

Hydrocodone

You may purchase this drug if you want to treat the symptoms of a stuffy nose and cough (major signs of a cold). Hydrocodone is a cough suppressant (narcotic antitussive). To stop coughing, it works by directly affecting the cough center in the brain.

When you have congestion from a cold or the flu, Hydrocodone is used to assist in evacuating mucus or phlegm from the chest. It acts by thinning the phlegm or mucus in the lungs.

Other OTC medicines to treat cold symptoms:

Antihistamines- It might help treat a runny nose, watery & itchy eyes, & sneezing.

Decongestants- This drug can relieve nasal passage connectedness.

Expectorants- It helps ease the coughing up of mucus.

You may try any of them to treat common cold signs. They all are the best medicines for the common cold.

Home remedies

There are a variety of other self-care measures that can reduce your symptoms:

Gargle with warm salty water

It is one of the most effective methods that may treat your cold. Dissolving salt in hot water & gargling with it might help ease a sore throat.

Rest up

Your body may fight the virus more effectively and stop it from spreading to others if you stay at home and limit your activity.

Zinc supplementation

According to a reliable source, Zinc supplementation, if started soon after symptoms appear, may shorten the duration of a cold. It may reduce your common cold symptoms effectively.

Use lozenges

Lozenges with menthol or honey may be able to relieve sore throats. You should avoid sharing lozenges with young children, as they might be a choking hazard.

Take honey

Try adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey to a cup of warm tea to help with coughing. You should not share honey with children below 1 year old.

Stop smoking

Your airways might become irritated if you breathe in tobacco smoke, secondhand smoke, or other pollutants.

Final takeaway

Although it can be annoying, the common cold is self-contained. Usually, you'll start feeling better and return to your regular activities after a few days. You will see positive outcomes if you follow all the above-mentioned remedies and medicines to treat your cold.

They can all help remove common cold signs in just a few days. To prevent yourself from a cold, you should wash your hands & cover your coughs & sneezes. If you follow these ideas, you won't get disappointed by the weather change.