Cold Symptoms
Within one to two days of your being exposed to and contracting the common cold virus, you can expect to experience some or all of the following signs and symptoms: a runny nose; sneezing; congestion; thick, yellow or green nasal discharge; a low-grade fever below 102 degrees; a cough, a sore and itchy or scratchy throat, minor muscle and joint aches; a mild headache; teary eyes; and slight fatigue.
More than 200 different viruses can cause the common cold.
Regardless of which virus has caused it, the symptoms of the common cold are very similar to that of respiratory allergies, and in particular, allergic rhinitis. So how do you know whether you’ve come down with a cold or are just having a really bad allergy attack? Well, the primary difference between cold and allergy symptoms is their duration. While allergy symptoms can go on for weeks at a time, a cold usually goes away in about 10 days or less. Another way to tell whether you have a cold is by observing whether you’re nasal discharge is clear or cloudy. It is only in the case of a cold that your nasal discharge becomes milky and discolored. The common cold is also distinct in that it usually starts out specifically with sneezing, a sore throat, and a runny nose, where as allergies may manifest themselves with a sudden barrage of symptoms simultaneously. Unlike the common cold, allergies rarely come with a fever. Allergies also rarely result in swollen glands or achy muscles and joints the way a cold virus does. And, of course, allergies are not contagious. So, if you’re having symptoms that resemble both conditions and no one in your family or at work has a cold, there’s a good chance that something else is at the root of the problem.
If you do indeed think you have a cold, but your symptoms persist for longer than a week to 10 days, or continue to worsen, it is high time that you seek the attention of a medical professional. You could have a more serious condition than the common cold, like pneumonia or the flu. Signs and symptoms that you’re dealing with more than just the common cold and should therefore see a doctor, include but are not limited to: a fever above 102 degrees or persisting for more than three days; vomiting; abdominal cramps; chills; intense headache; labored breathing, earache, and or severe drowsiness.
A doctor will diagnose your cold (if that’s what you have) based on your description of the symptoms you’ve been experiencing. He or she will most likely examine you for characteristic cold symptoms like inflammation and redness of your nasal passages and throat. You will also probably have your chest listened to with a stethoscope, in order to confirm that your lungs are functioning as they should be. You doctor may additionally perform some tests to rule out other possibilities with similar symptoms, such as allergies or various bacterial infections that can be treated with antibiotics. An example of such a test is a throat culture. If you have a sore, red, or swollen throat or inflamed tonsils, the doctor will probably take a swab to check for strep throat. However, because colds are so common, more often than not, the classic symptoms have the classic diagnosis: the relatively harmless, but nonetheless miserable, common cold.