If you stop taking them too soon — even if you're feeling better — the infection may not go away and you can develop other problems. Sooner or later everybody catches a cold. But you can strengthen your immune system's infection-fighting ability by exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, and getting enough rest.
Although some people recommend alternative treatments for colds such as zinc and vitamin C in large doses, or herbal products such as echinacea , none of these is proven to prevent or effectively treat colds.
Because herbal products can have negative side effects, lots of doctors don't recommend them. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What's a Cold? What Causes Colds? What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Cold?
Are Colds Contagious? How Long Do Colds Last? How Are Colds Treated? When Should I Go to the Doctor? But talk to a doctor if any of these things happen to you: Your cold symptoms last for more than a week or appear at the same time every year or whenever you're exposed to pollen, dust, animals, or some other substance you could have an allergy. You have trouble breathing or wheeze when you catch a cold you could have asthma. Your symptoms get worse after 3 days or so instead of better this might mean strep throat , sinusitis , bronchitis, or some other bacterial infection, especially if you smoke.
Life Cycle of the Common Cold. Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph. Days 1 to 3 Days 4 to 7 Days 8 to 10 Shop cold remedies Takeaway Share on Pinterest We include products we think are useful for our readers. OTC cold remedies. The takeaway. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M.
Medically reviewed by Cameron White, M. How to Treat a Tickle in Your Nose. Medically reviewed by Natalie Butler, R. Why Am I Always Sick? Medically reviewed by Elaine K. Luo, M. The best remedies include: Take over-the-counter pain medicine. This includes brand names such as Tylenol, Motrin, and Aleve. Do not give children younger than 18 aspirin. This can be fatal. Gargle with warm salt water. Mix 1 teaspoon of salt with 1 cup of water and stir. Suck on an over-the-counter throat lozenge.
Hard candy works too. Eat a popsicle. Use a humidifier in your bedroom. Move it to other rooms you spend time in. Drink liquids to keep your throat from getting dry. Also, this helps prevent dehydration. Questions to ask your doctor Will hot drinks make my sore throat worse?
Does honey help ease the pain of a sore throat? Should I go to work or school if I have a sore throat? Can a dry room cause a sore throat?
Can certain medicines cause a sore throat? Last Updated: March 3, This article was contributed by: familydoctor. Tags: cold , flu , mononucleosis , sore throat. Related Articles. Learn about the symptoms of and treatments for colds and the flu. This is probably due to a variety of factors, including:. At the first sign of cold symptoms, you may look to stock up on any number of remedies. But what actually works? While there is no cure for the common cold, there are some proven ways to treat your symptoms.
Everyone is at risk for the common cold. People are most likely to have colds during fall and winter, starting in late August or early September until March or April. The increased incidence of colds during the cold season may be attributed to the fact that more people are indoors and close to each other.
In addition, in cold, dry weather, the nasal passages become drier and more vulnerable to infection. Children suffer more colds each year than adults, due to their immature immune systems and to the close physical contact with other children at school or day care. In fact, the average child will have between 6 to 10 colds a year. The average adult will get 2 to 4 colds a year.
Colds usually start 2 to 3 days after the virus enters the body and symptoms last from several days to several weeks. Cold symptoms may look like other medical conditions. Always consult your healthcare provider for a diagnosis if your symptoms are severe. A cold and the flu influenza are two different illnesses.
A cold is relatively harmless and usually clears up by itself, although sometimes it may lead to a secondary infection, such as an ear infection.
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