What is the common cold?

The common cold is a mild infection of your upper respiratory tract (which includes your nose and throat). Colds are probably the most common illness. Adults have an average of 2-3 colds per year, and children have even more. Colds are more common in the winter and spring, but you can get them at any time.

What causes the common cold?

More than 200 different viruses can cause a cold, but rhinoviruses are the most common type. The viruses that cause colds are very contagious. They can spread from person to person through the air and close personal contact. You can also get infected when you touch something that has the virus on it and then touch your eyes, mouth, or nose. For example, you could get a cold after you shake hands with someone who has a cold or touch a doorknob that has the germs on it, and then touch your face.

What are the symptoms of the common cold?

The symptoms of a common cold usually include:

• Sneezing
• Stuffy nose (congestion)
• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Coughing
• Headache

The symptoms usually start a few days after you become infected with the virus. Some symptoms can last for 10-14 days.

What are the treatments for the common cold?

There is no cure for the common cold. But there are treatments that can make you feel better while you wait for the cold to go away on its own:

• Getting lots of rest.
• Drinking plenty of fluids.
• Using a clean humidifier or cool mist vaporizer.
• Gargling with warm salt water.
• Using saline nose drops or sprays.
• Taking over-the-counter pain or cold and cough medicines. But you need to be careful with certain medicines:
  • Children and teens should not take aspirin.
  • Some cold and cough medicines contain ingredients that are not recommended for children. Talk with your child's health care provider before giving your child any cold and cough medicines.
  • Some cold and cough medicines contain pain relievers. If you also take a separate pain reliever with these medicines, you could be getting a dangerous amount of the pain reliever. Read the labels on the medicines and follow the instructions carefully. If you have questions, ask your provider or a pharmacist.

Antibiotics will not help with a cold. Antibiotics help with bacterial infections, not with viral infections such as colds.

Most people who have a cold will feel better after a week or two. However, some people who get a cold may develop other illnesses, such as bronchitis or pneumonia. This is more common in people with weakened immune systems, asthma, or other respiratory conditions. Contact your provider if you or your child have symptoms that concern you, such as:

• Trouble breathing or fast breathing
• Dehydration
• Fever that lasts longer than 4 days
• Symptoms that last more than 10 days without improvement
• Symptoms, such as fever or cough, that improve but then return or worsen
• Worsening of chronic medical conditions

Can the common cold be prevented?

There is no vaccine to protect against the common cold. But you may be able to reduce your risk of getting or spreading a cold by:

• Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoiding touching your face, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoiding close contact, such as kissing, shaking hands, and sharing cups and eating utensils, with others if you are sick or they are sick.
• Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces that you frequently touch.
• Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Then throw away the tissue and wash your hands.
• Staying home when sick.

Common cold is a viral infection of the nose and throat. There are over 100 types of cold viruses. The common cold is harmless; but, it is highly contagious. Symptoms may last from 2-3 days up to 2 weeks.

One of the most common cold viruses is Rhinovirus. It is introduced in the nose cavity, mouth and eyes via direct touch from contaminated fingers, droplets or airborne transmission from coughs and sneezes. The first 8-12 hours are the incubation period. In this period, the cold virus begins to multiply inside the nasal cells and release an army of new viral particles. Symptoms peak in 36 to 72 hours after infection.

Cold viruses cannot be treated with antibiotics. Over the counter cold medications will not cure or make the common cold go away any faster. These medication just relieve your symptoms. Your body’s immune response is the best line of the defense to clear the virus from your body. You need to rest, eat properly and drink plenty of fluids. If you suffer from asthma and are wheezing, use your rescue inhaler and see a doctor.

Sneezing, stuffy and runny nose? You might have a cold. Colds are one of the most frequent reasons for missed school and work. Every year, adults have an average of 2 to 3 colds, and children have even more.

Antibiotics do not work against viruses that cause colds and will not help you feel better.

Causes

More than 200 viruses can cause a cold, but rhinoviruses are the most common type. Viruses that cause colds can spread from person to person through the air and close personal contact.

Risk Factors

Many factors can increase your risk for catching a cold, including:

• Close contact with someone who has a cold
• Season (colds are more common during the fall and winter, but it is possible to get a cold any time of the year)
• Age (infants and young children have more colds per year than adults)

Prevention

You can help prevent colds by doing your best to stay healthy and keep others healthy, including:

• Clean your hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who have colds or other upper respiratory infections.
• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Don’t smoke and avoid secondhand smoke.

What is the difference between a cold and flu?

Influenza (flu) and the common cold are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. Flu is caused by influenza viruses only, whereas the common cold can be caused by a number of different viruses, including rhinoviruses, parainfluenza, and seasonal coronaviruses. Seasonal coronaviruses should not be confused with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Because flu and the common cold have similar symptoms, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. In general, flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms are typically more intense and begin more abruptly. Colds are usually milder than flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose than people who have flu. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations. Flu can have serious associated complications.

How can you tell the difference between a cold and flu?

Because colds and flu share many symptoms, it can be difficult (or even impossible) to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. Special tests can tell if a person is sick with flu.

What are the symptoms of flu versus the symptoms of a cold?

The symptoms of flu can include fever or feeling feverish/chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, and fatigue (tiredness). Cold symptoms are usually milder than the symptoms of flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems.

About

Rhinoviruses are the most frequent cause of the common cold. In the United States, children have an average of two rhinovirus infections each year, and adults have an average of one. Most rhinovirus infections are mild, but they can cause severe illness, especially in people with weakened immune systems, asthma, or other underlying medical conditions. Rhinoviruses are commonly detected in children hospitalized for respiratory illness.

There are many different rhinovirus types. Rhinoviruses are part of the same virus group as Non-polio Enteroviruses, and have some similar properties to Enterovirus D68.

What time of the year are people most likely to get infected

Rhinoviruses usually occur year-round but tend to rise in early fall and spring. This is also when other respiratory viruses may circulate, such as Adenoviruses, Influenza, and RSV.

How Do They Spread

Rhinoviruses are spread through respiratory droplets that are released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can enter another person’s body if they breathe them in, or if they touch a surface contaminated with the virus and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth. Rhinoviruses can also be spread through close personal contact with an infected person, such as shaking hands or hugging.

What are the Symptoms

Many people will have no symptoms. Among those who develop symptoms, they typically last about 7 days but can last up to two weeks. Symptoms may include:

• Cough
• Sneeze
• Runny Nose
• Nasal congestion
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Body Aches
• Fever

More severe illness is less common but can include asthma exacerbations, bronchioliti middle ear infections, sinusitis, bronchitis, or pneumonia. These symptoms can mirror other respiratory infections.

How to Protect Yourself

You can reduce your risk of getting a rhinovirus by following these tips:

• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds after you touch surfaces or objects that have germs on them. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Avoid contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Clean/disinfect objects and surfaces regularly (such as light switches, countertops, and doorknobs).
• Consider wearing a high-quality, well-fitting face mask. This might be especially useful in certain circumstances, for example, in household settings when someone is sick or in crowded indoor settings such as public transportation when respiratory disease activity is high in your community.

How to Protect Others

If you are experiencing symptoms of rhinovirus, follow these tips to help prevent spreading it to others:

• Stay at home while sick and keep children home from school or daycare if they are sick.
• Avoid close contact with others (hugging, kissing, or shaking hands).
• Cough and sneeze into a tissue then throw it away, or cough and sneeze into your upper shirt sleeve, completely covering your mouth and nose.
• Wash your hands often, especially after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub (See CDC’s Clean Hands Save Lives!).
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects, such as toys, doorknobs, and mobile devices.

Testing & Screening

Testing not typically done (doctors may perform PCR tests in special circumstances such as severe illness).

When to Test

Doctors may order testing for rhinovirus infection for persons with severe illness and in other unusual circumstances.

How to Treat

There is no vaccine, treatment, or medication to prevent or cure rhinoviruses. You should take the following actions:

• Drink plenty of fluids
• Get plenty of rest

You can use over-the-counter medicines (such as pain relievers and fever reducers) to lessen symptoms. In most cases, people get better on their own.

Contact your healthcare provider if you or your child’s symptoms are more severe than usual and go longer than 7 days.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a cold usually peak within 2 to 3 days and can include:

• Sneezing
• Stuffy nose
• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Coughing
• Mucus dripping down your throat (post-nasal drip)
• Watery eyes
• Fever (although most people with colds do not have fever)

When viruses that cause colds first infect the nose and air-filled pockets in the face (sinuses), the nose makes clear mucus. This helps wash the viruses from the nose and sinuses. After 2 or 3 days, mucus may change to a white, yellow, or green color. This is normal and does not mean you need an antibiotic.

Some symptoms, particularly runny nose, stuffy nose, and cough, can last for up to 10 to 14 days, but those symptoms should be improving during that time.

When to Seek Medical Care

See a doctor if you have:

• Difficulty breathing or fast breathing
• Dehydration
• Fever that lasts longer than 4 days
• Symptoms that last more than 10 days without improvement
• Symptoms, such as fever or cough, that improve but then return or worsen
• Worsening of chronic medical conditions

This list is not all-inclusive. Please see a doctor for any symptom that is severe or concerning.

Because colds can have similar symptoms to flu, it can be difficult to tell the difference between the two illnesses based on symptoms alone. Flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses.

In general, flu is worse than a cold, and symptoms are more intense. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations. Flu can have very serious associated complications.

How Long Will Symptoms Last with a Typical Cold?

When you have a cold, a sore throat could last for 8 days; a headache for 9 or 10 days; and congestion, runny nose, and cough could last for more than 14 days.

Colds seem harder to escape as the temperature drops and people spend more time indoors. They are also not well understood by doctors and scientists. Recently though, NIH-supported research found a new piece of information about this common infection.

Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) identified a rare genetic mutation earlier this year. It can result in a person being more prone to infection by human rhinoviruses (HRVs), the main cause of the common cold.

The study looked at the case of a young child who had respiratory infections, including colds, influenza, and bacterial pneumonia, within only a few weeks of birth. The genetic analysis of the child found a mutation in the IFIH1 gene. The gene mutation created problems with proteins in her respiratory tract.

"The human immune response to common cold viruses is poorly understood," said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. "By investigating this unique case, our researchers not only helped this child but also helped answer some important scientific questions about these widespread infections that affect nearly everyone."

Researchers then analyzed a database of more than 60,000 volunteers' genomes. While the genetic mutation was rare, they found multiple variations in the IFIH1 gene that could lead to these dysfunctional proteins in the respiratory tract.

Insights from the study may lead to new strategies for treating patients with severe complications from colds.

Your doctor can determine if you have a cold by asking about symptoms and doing a physical examination.

There is no cure for a cold. It will get better on its own—without antibiotics. Antibiotics won’t help you get better if you have a cold.

When antibiotics aren’t needed, they won’t help you, and their side effects could still cause harm. Side effects can range from minor issues, like a rash, to very serious health problems, such as antibiotic-resistant infections and C. diff infection, which causes diarrhea that can lead to severe colon damage and death.

How to Feel Better

Below are some ways you can feel better while your body fights off a cold:

• Get plenty of rest.
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Use a clean humidifier or cool mist vaporizer.

• Use saline nasal spray or drops.
  • For young children, use a rubber suction bulb to clear mucus.
• Breathe in steam from a bowl of hot water or shower.

• Suck on lozenges. Do not give lozenges to children younger than 4 years of age.
• Use honey to relieve cough for adults and children at least 1 year of age or older.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist about over-the-counter medicines that can help you feel better. Always use over-the-counter medicines as directed. Remember, over-the-counter medicines may provide temporary relief of symptoms, but they will not cure your illness.

Over-the-Counter Medicine and Children

Be careful about giving over-the-counter medicines to children. Not all over-the-counter medicines are recommended for children of certain ages.

• Pain relievers:
  • Children younger than 6 months: only give acetaminophen.
  • Children 6 months or older: it is OK to give acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
  • Never give aspirin to children because it can cause Reye’s syndrome, a rare but very serious illness that harms the liver and brain.

• Cough and cold medicines:
  • Children younger than 4 years old: do not use unless a doctor specifically tells you to. Use of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines in young children can result in serious and potentially life-threatening side effects.
  • Children 4 years or older: discuss with your child’s doctor if over-the-counter cough and cold medicines are safe to give to your child for temporary symptom relief.

Be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist about the right dosage of over-the-counter medicines for your child’s age and size. Also, tell your child’s doctor and pharmacist about all prescription and over-the-counter medicines they are taking.

Sore throat and runny nose are usually the first signs of a cold, followed by coughing and sneezing. Most people recover in about 7-10 days. You can help reduce your risk of getting a cold: wash your hands often, avoid close contact with sick people, and don’t touch your face with unwashed hands.

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 2-3 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:

• sore throat
• runny nose
• coughing
• sneezing
• headaches
• body aches

Most people recover within about 7-10 days. However, people with weakened immune systems, asthma, or respiratory conditions may develop serious illness, such as bronchitis or pneumonia.

How to Protect Yourself

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.

You can help reduce your risk of getting a cold:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water. Wash them for 20 seconds, and help young children do the same. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Viruses that cause colds can live on your hands, and regular handwashing can help protect you from getting sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Viruses that cause colds can enter your body this way and make you sick.
• Stay away from people who are sick. Sick people can spread viruses that cause the common cold through close contact with others.

How to Protect Others

If you have a cold, you should follow these tips to help prevent spreading it to other people:

• Stay at home while you are sick and keep children out of school or daycare while they are sick.
• Avoid close contact with others, such as hugging, kissing, or shaking hands.
• Move away from people before coughing or sneezing.
• Cough and sneeze into a tissue then throw it away, or cough and sneeze into your upper shirt sleeve, completely covering your mouth and nose.
• Wash your hands after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects, such as toys, doorknobs, and mobile devices.

There is no vaccine to protect you against the common cold.

How to Feel Better

There is no cure for a cold. To feel better, you should get lots of rest and drink plenty of fluids. Over-the-counter medicines may help ease symptoms but will not make your cold go away any faster. Always read the label and use medications as directed. Talk to your doctor before giving your child nonprescription cold medicines, since some medicines contain ingredients that are not recommended for children. Learn more about symptom relief of upper respiratory infections, including colds.

Antibiotics will not help you recover from a cold caused by a respiratory virus. They do not work against viruses, and they may make it harder for your body to fight future bacterial infections if you take them unnecessarily. Learn more about when antibiotics work.

When to See a Doctor

You should call your doctor if you or your child has one or more of these conditions:

• symptoms that last more than 10 days
• symptoms that are severe or unusual
• if your child is younger than 3 months of age and has a fever or is lethargic

You should also call your doctor right away if you are at high risk for serious flu complications and get flu symptoms such as fever, chills, and muscle or body aches. People at high risk for flu complications include young children (younger than 5 years old), adults 65 years and older, pregnant women, and people with certain medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease.
Your doctor can determine if you or your child has a cold or the flu and can recommend treatment to help with symptoms.

Causes of the Common Cold

Many different respiratory viruses can cause the common cold, but rhinoviruses are the most common. Rhinoviruses can also trigger asthma attacks and have been linked to sinus and ear infections. Other viruses that can cause colds include respiratory syncytial virus, human parainfluenza viruses, adenovirus, common human coronaviruses, and human metapneumovirus.

Know the Difference between Common Cold and Flu

The flu, which is caused by influenza viruses, also spreads and causes illness around the same time as the common cold. Because these two illnesses have similar symptoms, it can be difficult (or even impossible) to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. In general, flu symptoms are worse than the common cold and can include fever or feeling feverish/chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue (tiredness). Flu can also have very serious complications. CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccination as the first and best way to prevent the flu. If you get the flu, antiviral drugs may be a treatment option.