Symptoms of a cold: how not to confuse it with other diseases?

Symptoms of the common cold can be difficult to recognize, because often it masks for other diseases - for example, flu or allergies. How to recognize the signs of a cold?

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Cold viruses

More than 200 different viruses can cause colds. The most common type is rhinoviruses, which cause about 40% of colds in adults. The peak of the cold is from autumn to early spring, when people spend the most time indoors, which facilitates the easy spread of these viruses.

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The most vivid symptoms of a cold

A cold usually begins suddenly with sore throat, followed by other cold symptoms:

• Watery discharge from the nose
• Sneezing
• Increased fatigue and weakness
• Cough - dry or wet

As a rule, the cold is not accompanied by high fever. High fever and heavier cold symptoms can mean that you have the flu or other non-catarrhal disease.

Details of the symptoms of colds

In the first few days a person has a watery discharge from the nose. It is the defense of the immune system from the penetration of viruses through the nasal passages. Later, these secretions can become denser and darker.

A mild cough is also a symptom of the common cold and can last for the second week of the common cold. If you have asthma or other problems with the lungs, a cold can make things worse. Talk with your doctor to change your asthma treatment plan or consider the need for additional cold treatment.

If cough is accompanied with thick mucus or you have fever, you may have a bacterial infection. Contact your doctor for help.

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Cold timing

Symptoms of a cold usually last from one to three days after you are infected with a cold virus. As a rule, the symptoms of colds last from three to seven days. At a time when all the worst is over, you can feel weakened and tired for a week or more. During the first three days, when you have symptoms of a cold, you can easily infect other people. It is worth knowing that the cold is especially contagious during the first week. This means that you can transmit the cold virus to those with whom you come in contact (approaching more than a meter).

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How not to confuse an allergy with a cold?

Sometimes you can confuse the symptoms of a cold with allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever. If your cold symptoms pass faster than within one to two weeks, there is a chance that it is not an allergy. If symptoms persist for more than two weeks, consult your doctor to see if you have developed a chronic allergy.

Allergy is caused by a hyperactive immune system. For reasons that are difficult to find out, your body reacts to certain substances, such as house dust or pollen. Then the body produces chemicals such as histamine. This can cause swelling in the nasal passages, runny nose, coughing and sneezing. The allergy is not contagious, although some people can inherit a tendency to allergies.

When to call a doctor for a cold?

With the exception of newborns and elderly people with chronic diseases, a cold for people is not dangerous. Symptoms of a cold usually disappear within a week or two without special treatment. Unfortunately, a cold can greatly worsen the resistance of your body, making you more susceptible to bacterial infection.

If the cold symptoms continue to bother you and your condition does not improve, consult your doctor. Your doctor will carefully consider your throat and ears and with the help of a stethoscope will listen to your lungs. He can take a swab from the throat to sow crops, making it a long cotton swab. A swab from the throat will show if you have a bacterial infection that requires treatment with antibiotics.

Call your doctor if you have:

1. Pain in the ears
2. Pain around the nose and around the eyes for more than a week
3. The temperature is above 38 degrees Celsius. If your child is younger than 3 months (12 weeks) and has a temperature of 39 degrees or higher, consult a doctor.
4. A fever that lasts more than a day in a child younger than 2 and not more than three months old, and also at the age of 2 years and older
5. Cough due to which sputum is secreted more than a week
6. Dyspnea
7. Deterioration of symptoms
8. Symptoms of colds that last longer than two to three weeks
9. Problems with swallowing
10. Sore throat for more than five days
11. Rigidity of the occipital muscles or sensitivity to bright light

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Also it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor if:

• You are pregnant or breastfeeding and you develop symptoms of a cold
• Your newborn or older baby suffers from cold symptoms
• Your symptoms of colds worsen after the third day

Colds can aggravate the symptoms of other diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Colds can lead to acute bacterial bronchitis, acute pharyngitis, pneumonia or ear infections, especially for people with lung diseases.

It is not yet clear what exactly - fatigue, stress, poor nutrition or poor health leads to more frequent colds, but they often cause more severe cold symptoms.

The older the person, the harder he suffers from the symptoms of a cold. This should not be forgotten and it is necessary to take care of sufficient rest and sleep.

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