Symptoms
Symptoms of the common cold usually begin 2 to 3 days after infection and often include:
- Sore throat
- Mucus buildup in your nose
- Difficulty breathing through your nose
- Swelling of your sinuses
- Sneezing
- Cough
- Headache
- Tiredness
Although fever is uncommon in adults, it is often found in children with colds and can climb to102ºF in infants and young children.
Cold symptoms can last from 2 to 14 days, but if you are like most people, you’ll probably recover in a week to 10 days. If your symptoms return often or last much longer than 2 weeks, you might have an allergy rather than a cold.
High fever, significantly swollen glands, severe sinus pain, and a cough that produces mucus may be signs that you have a complication or more serious illness. If you have any of these signs, you should contact your healthcare provider.
