Common cold – the symptoms and how to get rid of it

There’s no denying that a cold is irritating and can make us feel unwell, making it hard to go about daily life and disturbing sleep at night.

A cold is a virus that can spread through droplets in the air when someone who is sick coughs, sneezes, or talks.

It can enter your body through your mouth, eyes, or nose and cause inflammation inside your upper airways, giving you typical cold symptoms such as a cough.

The cold virus also spreads by hand contact – from items such as door handles or light switches after someone with the cold virus has touched them. You could catch their cold if you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth after contact.

As the common cold spreads so easily – on average we can expect to get around 2-4 colds year – it’s worth knowing the facts and what can help you feel better.

What are the symptoms?

Not everyone experiences the same cold in the same way and some people won’t get any symptoms at all, but these are the classic cold symptoms:

• stuffy or runny nose
• sneezing
• sore or scratchy throat
• coughing
• headaches
• feeling unwell
• feeling tired
• a hoarse voice.

Less common symptoms include:

• fever (usually low-grade)
• mildly red or watery eyes
• weakened or loss of smell or taste
• pressure feeling in your ears or face
• body aches
• earaches.

In healthy adults, colds usually last between 3 and 10 days, but your symptoms can vary depending on which stage of the cold you’re in.

In up to a quarter of adults, especially smokers, symptoms can last as long as 2 weeks. The worst day of a common cold varies but it usually falls 2-3 days after your symptoms appear, so chances are that after this you’ll start to feel better.

How to tell the difference between a cold and COVID

It can be hard to know if you have a cold or COVID-19 because many of the symptoms overlap. If you’ve got access to a COVID-19 test then this should give you an answer. There are also a few small differences.

Who is most likely to get a cold?

Anyone can catch a cold but you’re more likely to get one if:

• you’re in contact with children - for example, you’re a parent or you work in a daycare center. Children touch their faces frequently and put things in their mouths so colds spread easily. They also haven’t yet built up their immunity to the hundreds of cold viruses that circulate and can get between 5 and 8 colds a year
• you have a weakened immune system – if you have an illness or take medication that weakens your immune system
• you smoke – smoking damages your lungs and airways and also harms the immune system, making you more likely to catch a cold
• you’re often surrounded by people – for example you take trains or buses a lot, or work in an office, you're more likely to be exposed to the cold virus
• you’re not getting enough sleep - getting fewer sleep hours has been linked with higher chances of catching a cold. One study found that people getting less than 7 hours of sleep were almost 3 times more likely to get a cold than those with 8 or more
• you’re stressed - being stressed can increase your chances of catching a cold.

How to get rid of a cold with self-care

There’s no cure for a cold, but self-care and home remedies can help you feel better. Try these tips:

• get plenty of rest and sleep
• drink lots of water – if you find it hard to drink, try decaf teas, or flavored water with cucumber, lemon, lime, or berries
• try a cool mist vaporizer or saline nasal spray to help unblock a stuffy nose
• suck on ice chips, popsicles, or lozenges to soothe your scratchy throat
• try drinks with honey to help soothe a cough
• gargle saltwater to soothe a sore throat
• sip on warm drinks to help with congestion and soothe your throat
• stop smoking.

Stay home if you don’t feel well enough to do your normal activities or have a high fever.

How can a pharmacist help with a cold?

Talk to a pharmacist for help finding which medications will suit your symptoms and that they are suitable for you.

Some medicines should not be taken during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Others should only be used for a limited time, so always check the packet.

You’ll find plenty of medications marketed for coughs and colds, but here are the ones with evidence that they work:

• painkillers like acetaminophen (paracetamol) or ibuprofen can help relieve pain such as a headache or body aches
• antihistamines or decongestant sprays or tablets, or a combination of the two, can sometimes help with a blocked nose
• ipratropium nose sprays can help with a runny nose.

There are some natural remedies that are reported to help with colds such as products containing echinacea, eucalyptus, garlic, menthol, zinc and vitamin C. But more studies are needed to support the fact that these remedies work.

When to see a doctor

Most colds are mild and will get better on their own. Because colds are caused by viruses and not bacteria, taking antibiotics will not help.

But if your symptoms are unusually bad or you are concerned you have something more than a cold, then you should see a doctor.

Occasionally, the cold virus can allow other infections to enter your body and cause complications, such as an ear or chest infection.

So you should see a doctor if you have:

• a very high fever or feel very hot and shivery, or a fever that’s lasted more than 3 days
• a fever or other symptoms that suddenly get worse or return after they’ve gone away
• swelling or redness of your face or a pus-like discharge from your nose, or pain in your face that’s severe, or lasts longer than 3 days
• a cough that gets worse after your other symptoms have gotten better or you’re coughing up blood
• symptoms that aren’t getting better after 10 days or a cough that’s not better after 3 weeks
• difficulty breathing or wheezing
• trouble swallowing
• a bad ear pain that lasts more than 3 days or pus comes out of your ear
• a long-term medical problem such as diabetes or a heart or lung conditions
• a weakened immune system.

How to prevent a cold and stop the spread

Once the symptoms of a cold appear, there’s nothing proven to prevent it from progressing.

However, over-the-counter medicines and self-care can help relieve your symptoms temporarily - so start taking care of yourself as soon as you feel a cold coming on.

You can limit your exposure to colds by:

• washing your hands regularly with soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• not touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
• staying away from people who are sick.

You can also help stop the spread of colds by:

• staying home while you’re sick
• wearing a facemask if you can’t stay home and you’re in a public place or have close contact with others
• avoiding close contact with other people such as hugging, kissing or shaking hands
• coughing and sneezing into a tissue and then throwing it away
• wash your hands after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.