Common Cold: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention

The common cold is aptly named because chances are, you’ve had it many times in your life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults have 2 to 3 colds each year on average. Children often have more—as parents with kids in daycare or elementary school can attest.

Colds are an infection of your upper respiratory tract, including your nose and throat. You can catch a cold any time of year, but people tend to get sick with colds more often during the colder months of fall, winter, and spring.

“While we often think of the “big 3” respiratory viruses—influenza (flu), SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)—as common causes of respiratory virus symptoms, there are many more viruses out there that cause what we generically refer to as the common cold. These include rhinoviruses, other non-SARS-CoV-2 coronaviruses, parainfluenza viruses, human metapneumoviruses, adenoviruses, and enteroviruses,” says Erica S. Shenoy, MD, PhD, chief of Infection Control at Mass General Brigham and an infectious diseases doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Shenoy shares tips on treatment options and prevention for this very common illness.

What causes the common cold and how is it spread?

There are more than 200 different viruses that can cause a cold, but the most common are a type called rhinoviruses.

Most respiratory viruses, like rhinoviruses, can spread from person to person through droplets from an infected person when they cough or sneeze. Virus can then be inhaled by another person, or come in contact with their eyes, nose, or mouth (either directly or indirectly, when their hands touch a contaminated surface and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth).

Common cold symptoms

Signs and symptoms of a common cold include:

• Sneezing
• Stuffy or runny nose (mucus may be clear, white, yellow, or green), or sinus pressure
• Sore throat
• Coughing
• Headache
• Fever

Cold symptoms can overlap with flu, RSV, or COVID-19.

“In the vast majority of cases, we never test for, or determine, which virus caused common cold symptoms because it’s not needed,” says Dr. Shenoy.

Dr. Shenoy recommends at-home COVID-19 tests, which are readily available and provided free this fall through the United States Postal Service, when you have cold symptoms that you think may be COVID-19, as many people will be eligible for COVID-19 treatment to reduce risk of severe disease. Those treatments are most effective when started early in the course of your infection. In some situations, depending on how much flu is circulating, and your risk of severe disease from flu, your doctor may test for flu. Testing for influenza and RSV is not generally needed for people who aren’t hospitalized.

What’s the difference between the common cold and the flu?

Because symptoms of the common cold and flu overlap, it can be hard to tell the difference based on symptoms alone. Flu symptoms can be more severe and happen more abruptly. Flu signs and symptoms are more likely to include fever, body aches, and chills.

Flu is also more likely to cause severe illness that may require care in a hospital, and even death. Risks are higher for certain groups like older adults, pregnant people, people with compromised immune systems, and very young children. The CDC recommends an annual flu vaccine for anyone aged 6 months and older to prevent severe disease and to protect the community.

“The flu vaccine has been shown, year after year, to be effective in reducing risk of severe disease,” Dr. Shenoy affirms. “Among people who were vaccinated, but still got the flu, the vaccine was effective at preventing hospitalization and death.” The effectiveness of the flu vaccines varies from year to year.

If you think you may have the flu, reach out to your primary care provider (PCP). It’s very possible, depending on time of year, and your personal medical history, that a test isn’t necessary to confirm if you have flu or not, or to start treatment. When indicated, the earlier you start treatment for influenza, the more effective it can be.

When to see a doctor with a cold

Seek medical care if you experience:

• Trouble breathing
• Fever lasting more than 4 days
• Symptoms lasting longer than 10 days without improvement or worsening
• Dehydration

Treatment for the common cold

Most common colds gradually get better on their own without treatment, but it can take some time for a cold to run its course. Some cold symptoms, like a cough or a runny nose, can last from 10 to 14 days. Because a cold is caused by a virus, antibiotics won’t help.

To feel better while you’re fighting a cold, try the following:

• Drink lots of water.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Run a humidifier or vaporizer to increase the amount of moisture in the air.
• Use saline nasal spray or drops.
• Breathe in steam during a hot shower.
• Use throat lozenges or cough drops.
• Take over-the-counter medicines to relieve symptoms in adults.

Tips to prevent the common cold

As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The CDC is a great resource for the latest guidance on respiratory viruses.

Here’s what you can do:

• Stay up-to-date on all recommended vaccines, like the flu and COVID-19.
• Practice good hand hygiene.

When you have a respiratory virus, take precautions to prevent spread.