When should you go to the doctor for a cold?

For adults — generally, you don't need medical attention for a common cold. However, seek medical attention if you have: Symptoms that worsen or fail to improve. Fever greater than 101.3 F (38.5 C) lasting more than three days.

How long should you wait before going to the doctor with a cold?

“If you are reaching the 10-day mark of a cold and are not feeling any better, you should see your doctor,” says Christine Kirlew, M.D., an internal medicine physician at Piedmont. “Most cold viruses last seven to 10 days, so if it lasts longer than that, it could be a bacterial infection and require antibiotics.”

Will a doctor do anything for a cold?

Since there's no cure for the common cold, treatment options will usually focus on the symptoms you're experiencing. For example, if your most problematic symptom is a cough, your doctor may recommend or prescribe cough suppressants. Here are a few other treatment options your doctor may recommend.

When should you speak to a doctor about a cold?

See a GP if:

your symptoms do not improve after 3 weeks. your symptoms get suddenly worse. your temperature is very high or you feel hot and shivery. you're concerned about your child's symptoms.

What are the 5 stages of cold?

The stages of a cold include the incubation period, appearance of symptoms, remission, and recovery.

When to See a Doctor About a Cold

What are the worst days of a cold?

Symptoms peak: Cold symptoms peak at 1 to 3 days. The main symptoms include sore throat, stuffy nose, runny nose, cough, discomfort, sneezing, fever (more common in children), headaches, clear, watery discharge from your nose (mucus), and body aches.

How long is too long for a cold?

If you or your child has a cold, there's usually no need to see your GP as it should clear within a week or two. You only really need to contact your GP if: your symptoms persist for more than three weeks. your symptoms get suddenly worse.

How do you tell if you have a cold or a sinus infection?

Clear, watery mucus is usually a sign of a cold. A sinus will often cause mucus to become thick and green or yellow in color. If you experience nasal discharge that is colored and have a difficult time blowing your nose, you may have a sinus infection.

When should you call in sick with a cold?

But unless you've got other symptoms like aches or fever, get dressed and go to work! If you've been sick for a few days and you now cough up darker yellow mucus, it's still probably just a cold. But if it goes on this way for more than a week, it's a good idea to see your doctor.

What gets rid of a cold quickly?

What is the best drug for common cold?

Should you stay home with a cold?

If you have a cold, you should follow these tips to help prevent spreading it to other people: Stay at home while you are sick and keep children out of school or daycare while they are sick. Avoid close contact with others, such as hugging, kissing, or shaking hands. Move away from people before coughing or sneezing.

How do you know if a cold is viral or bacterial?

How do you tell if it's more than a cold?

Why isn't my cold going away?

The average cold lasts about three days to two weeks, so if your cough isn't going away, it could be because the cold medicine isn't cutting it. COVID-19, allergies, pneumonia, sinus infections and acute bronchitis can last for weeks—or sometimes months— rather than days.

How do I know if my cold has turned into bronchitis?

But if you've been coughing and feeling tired for more than two weeks, your cold might have turned into acute bronchitis. Bronchitis, also called a chest cold, is when the airways of the lungs become irritated, and swell and produce excess mucus which causes a persistent cough.

How do you know when a cold turns into pneumonia?

While most colds are minor and go away on their own with rest and fluids, symptoms overlap with more serious ailments, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. For example, all three can cause fatigue, but only pneumonia might include a high fever, chills or nausea.

Can a cold turn into RSV?

Most cases are mild, but for some children, an ordinary cold or flu can quickly turn into respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), asthma or pneumonia that requires ER treatment or hospitalization.

When should you get a sinus infection checked?

See a doctor if you have: Severe symptoms, such as severe headache or facial pain. Symptoms that get worse after improving. Symptoms lasting more than 10 days without getting better.

Should I go to urgent care for congestion?

If symptoms of your sinus infection are getting worse, you can receive prompt medical treatment at an urgent care clinic. An urgent care clinic requires no appointments or long wait times. Simply walk in to receive care for your sinus problem quickly.

What are the stages of a sinus infection?

Why is my cold getting worse after 3 days?

If symptoms get worse, rather than better, after 3-7 days, you may have acquired a bacterial infection. These symptoms can also be caused by a cold virus other than a rhinovirus.

How is RSV different from a cold?

RSV can infect anyone, but is most dangerous in infants and the elderly. Its symptoms are similar to those of the common cold. They tend to run their course with only mild intensity in adults and older children. In infants and elderly, symptoms tend to be more severe, and can include fevers and wheezing.

Can a cold get worse after getting better?

Rebound illness

Feeling mildly sick, then better and then sick again could be a sign of a "superinfection" — a more serious secondary infection that results when your immune system is weakened from a mild illness. "It could be that the immune system got tired and another infection was able to come in," Weitzman said.