Common Cold Symptoms
The common cold symptoms include sneezing, runny nose, nasal obstruction, sore or scratchy throat, cough, hoarseness, and mild general symptoms like headache, feverishness, chilliness, and not feeling well in general. Symptoms of a cold may include a runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat and cough, a headache and mild fever, as well as general fatigue and malaise. common cold symptoms usually develop 1-3 days after the virus invades the body.The following are the most common cold symptoms. Symptoms may include:
- Stuffy, runny nose
- Scratchy, tickly throat
- Sneezing
- Watering eyes
- Low-grade fever
- Sore throat
- Mild hacking cough
- Achy muscles and bones
- Headache
- Mild fatigue
- Chills
- Watery discharge from nose that thickens and turns yellow or green
common cold symptoms start two days after infection. The time to onset of common cold symptoms can only be studied in persons who are infected experimentally with a common cold virus and in these volunteers symptoms typically start one to two days after infection.
common cold symptoms may last two weeks. Symptoms in patients presenting with common cold usually last for round seven days although some common cold symptoms may persist for up to 14 days in one quarter of patients.
A dry scratchy sore throat is often the first sign of a common cold and this may be due to the virus first infecting the back of the nose. Sneezing and a clear watery nasal fluid are also early signs of infection.
Symptoms flare out from a pinpoint of infection. Common cold infections do not cause any visible damage to the lining of the nose. Sites of infection may occur as tiny pinpoints scattered over the lining of the nose and throat.
The pinpoint of infection is represented as the tip of the flare and this triggers a cascade of events in the lining of the nose starting with the immune response and sometimes expanding to generate chemical mediators and symptoms.
Headache, fever and muscle aches and pains are commonly associated with influenza and bacterial infections but they are also associated with common cold viruses.
You cannot distinguish between a cold and flu! You cannot separate a cold and flu just from the symptoms. In general influenza has a sudden onset and is associated with fever and muscle aches and pains but a severe common cold can also cause these symptoms.
Fever is common in children. Fever associated with common cold is uncommon in the adult but quite common in infants and children.
Many people believe taking large amounts of vitamin C will either prevent the common cold or reduce its symptoms. However, to date, studies have not indicated that high amounts of vitamin C affect the onset and symptoms of the common cold. In addition, taking large quantities of vitamin C over a long period of time may, in fact, be harmful, causing diarrhea and distorting urine and blood test results.
Most common colds are diagnosed based on reported symptoms. However, common cold symptoms may be similar to certain bacterial infections, allergies, and other medical conditions.
The common cold symptoms may resemble other medical conditions. Always consult your physician for a diagnosis.