Patient education: Cough, runny nose, and colds (The Basics)

What causes cough, runny nose, and other cold symptoms? — 

These symptoms are usually caused by a virus. Doctors also use the term "viral upper respiratory infection," or "viral URI." Lots of different viruses can get into your nose, mouth, throat, or airways and cause cold symptoms.

Most people get better from a cold without any lasting problems. Even so, having a cold can be uncomfortable.

What are the symptoms of a cold? — 

Symptoms can include:

●Sneezing

●Coughing

●Sniffling and runny nose

●Sore throat

●Chest congestion

In children, a cold can also cause a fever. But adults do not usually get a fever when they have a cold.

Colds usually last about 3 to 7 days in adults and 10 days in children. But some people have symptoms for up to 2 weeks.

How can I tell if I have a cold or something else? — 

Sometimes, it can be hard to tell if you have a cold or something else. Some cold symptoms can also be caused by other illnesses, such as COVID-19, the flu, or strep throat.

There might be clues that can help you tell the difference:

●COVID-19 often starts out very similar to a cold, but it can also cause a fever. If you have cold symptoms and have been around someone with COVID-19, you should get a test to find out if you have it, too.

●The flu is more likely to cause fever, body aches, and extreme tiredness than a cold.

●Strep throat usually causes severe throat pain. It can also cause a fever and swollen glands in the neck. People with strep throat usually do not have other cold symptoms like a stuffy nose or cough.

If you think you might have an illness other than a cold, call your doctor or nurse. They will tell you what to do.

Can medicine help with a cold? — 

Usually, a cold gets better on its own and does not need treatment. Because colds are usually caused by viruses, antibiotics do not help.

If you are a teen or an adult, you can try cough and cold medicines that you can get without a prescription ("over-the-counter"). These medicines might help with your symptoms. But they do not cure the cold or help you get well faster.

If you try non-prescription cold medicines:

●Read the directions on the label, and follow them carefully.

●Do not combine 2 or more medicines that have acetaminophen in them. If you take too much acetaminophen, it can damage your liver.

●If you have a heart condition, have high blood pressure, or take any prescription medicines, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking cold medicine. They can tell you which medicines are safe.

Some medicines are not safe for children:

●If your child is younger than 6 years, do not give them any cold medicines. These are not safe for young children. Even if your child is older than 6, cough and cold medicines probably will not help.

●Never give aspirin to any child younger than 18 years old. In children, aspirin can cause a life-threatening condition called Reye syndrome.

●When giving your child acetaminophen or other non-prescription medicines, never give more than the recommended dose.

What can I do on my own to feel better? — 

You can:

●Get plenty of rest.

●Drink lots of fluids (water, juice, or broth) to stay hydrated. This helps replace any fluids lost if you have a runny nose or sweating from a fever. Warm tea or soup can help soothe a sore throat.

●Use a cool mist humidifier to add moisture to the air, if it helps.

●Use saline nose drops or spray to relieve stuffiness.

●Avoid smoking, and stay away from places where people are smoking.

Can a cold lead to more serious problems? — 

In some cases, yes. In some people, having a cold can lead to:

●Ear infections

●Worse asthma symptoms

●Sinus infections

●Pneumonia or bronchitis (infections of the lungs)

How can I try to avoid getting a cold? — 

There are some things you can do to keep germs from spreading:

●Wash your hands with soap and water often (figure 1) – This can also help prevent the spread of other illnesses like the flu and COVID-19.

●Cover your cough – Cough into your elbow instead of your hands. Teach children to do this, too. Throw away used tissues right away.

●Clean surfaces – The germs that cause colds can live on tables, door handles, and other surfaces for at least 2 hours.

●Stay home if you are sick – When you do need to be around other people, consider wearing a face mask until you are feeling better.

When should I call the doctor? — 

Call your doctor or nurse for advice if you:

●Have a fever higher than 100.4°F (38°C) as well as chills, loss of appetite, or trouble breathing

●Have a very bad sore throat

●Have a fever as well as lung disease, such as emphysema or asthma

●Have a cough that lasts longer than 10 days or starts getting worse

●Have chest pain when you cough or breathe deeply, have trouble breathing, or cough up blood

If you are older than 65 years, or if you have any chronic medical condition such as diabetes, call your doctor or nurse any time you get a long-lasting cough.

Take your child to the emergency department if they:

●Get confused, or stop responding to you

●Have trouble breathing, or have to work hard to breathe

Call your child's doctor or nurse if the child:

●Loses their sense of taste or smell, or won't eat foods they ate before

●Has a very bad sore throat

●Refuses to drink anything for a long time

●Is younger than 4 months

●Has a fever, and is not acting like themselves

●Has a cough that lasts longer than 2 weeks, and is not getting any better or is getting worse

●Has a stuffed or runny nose that gets worse or does not get any better after 10 days

●Has red eyes, or yellow goop coming out of their eyes

●Has ear pain, pulls at their ears, or shows other signs of having an ear infection

More on this topic

Patient education: Upper respiratory infection in adults – Discharge instructions (The Basics)
Patient education: COVID-19 overview (The Basics)
Patient education: Flu (The Basics)
Patient education: Strep throat in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Strep throat in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Sore throat in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Sore throat in children (The Basics)
Patient education: When to worry about a fever in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Fever in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Cough in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Cough in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Coughing up blood (The Basics)
Patient education: How to wash your hands (The Basics)
Patient education: How to use nasal medicines (The Basics)
Patient education: Lowering the risk of spreading infection (The Basics)
Patient education: Swollen lymph nodes in adults (The Basics)

Patient education: The common cold in adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: The common cold in children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Influenza symptoms and treatment (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Influenza prevention (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Sore throat in adults (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Sore throat in children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Fever in children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Acute bronchitis in adults (Beyond the Basics)