Common Cold

The common cold is a viral infection that affects your nose and throat. Common colds are the main factors when it comes to missing school or work. Annually, everyone has at least 2-3 colds with children being more prone to them due to uncleanliness. There is no cure for this illness but its mild so there’s nothing life threatening that you should be worried about. It usually takes the average person about a week to a week and a half to rid themselves of the cold.

Symptoms Of The Common Cold

runny/stuffed nose

sore throat

congestion

sneezing

fever

cough

body aches

headaches

Treating The Common Cold

Although there is no cure for the cold, there are ways to ease the symptoms. Be sure to drink a lot of water and get plenty of rest. Most cases last about 7-10 days depending on how strong your immune system is. There is OTC medications such as pain relievers, decongestants, cough syrups, & nasal sprays that can help ease your symptoms.

Some home remedies include:

Drink Plenty Of Liquids

Rest

Adjust Humidity And Temperature

Soothe Your Sore Throat

Nasal drops

When Should You See A Doctor?

You should see your doctor if any of the following occurs:

Trouble breathing – Short of breath or chest pains could lead to heart disease, asthma, or pneumonia

Your fever doesn’t get any better – If it doesn’t go away you probably have another infection going on somewhere in your body.

You can’t eat/drink without vomiting – Not being able to eat or drink isn’t optimal, your best bet would be to see a doctor.

Cant get rid of your cough – If you cant rid yourself of your cough it could be postnasal drip. If it’s a severe kind of cough that lasts for 2-3 weeks, then it might be a whooping cough.

It hurts to swallow – Even though sore throats make it a little difficult to swallow, if this problem persists and the pain increases then you should see a doctor seeing as that is abnormal.

Your congestion won’t go away – If cold medicine doesn’t remedy your illness, it could lead to a sinus infection that you most likely want to get checked out.