10 Signs It's More Than a Cold

Medically reviewed by Kashif J. Piracha, MD

You likely know the signs of a common cold, commonly caused by rhinovirus. Symptoms include a runny nose, congestion, coughing, and sneezing. How do you know these symptoms are just a cold or the flu? Signs it's more than a cold include a sore throat, chills, diarrhea, nausea, and throwing up.

A cold tends to clear up on its own within three to ten days. If your symptoms last longer than 10 days, you may have the flu. Here's how to tell when symptoms are more than a cold and when to contact a healthcare provider.

Related: How Long Is Too Long? Is My Cough Chronic?

1. A Fever Above 101 Degrees

It's possible to be feverish when you have a cold, but a high fever is not common. A fever higher than 101 degrees may be a sign of strep throat. Most people with strep throat develop a high fever in the first few days of illness.

Be wary of sudden spikes in your temperature. Strep throat is a bacterial infection that requires treatment with antibiotics. If untreated, strep throat may cause rheumatic fever and lead to serious heart problems.

Strep throat generally does not cause symptoms like a runny nose, cough, and hoarseness (changes in your voice). These symptoms more commonly occur with a cold.

2. A Low-Grade Fever for Several Days

Running a low-grade fever for several days in a row might be a sign your body is trying to fight off more than a cold. Research has shown that a consistent fever may mean you have the flu or mononucleosis (mono). The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) causes mono, which causes a fever, body aches, and severe fatigue. Be diligent about checking your body temperature, even if it does not feel super intense.

3. A Pattern to Your Symptoms

It can be hard to distinguish allergies from colds since they have similar symptoms. Allergies will often follow a pattern. You likely have allergies if your symptoms are worse after spending time outdoors or during certain seasons. Keep track of your symptoms and see if you notice any trends to pinpoint the exact cause.

4. Body Aches

A cold can cause body aches, but pain is usually slight. The flu, in contrast, usually makes your muscles and body feel achy. This pain can sometimes be severe. Chills and fatigue often accompany body aches. Getting out of bed might wear you out, and your muscles will be sore and tender.

5. Chest Pain or Trouble Breathing

A cough is a typical cold symptom, but it usually is not so severe if it causes chest pain, shortness of breath, and wheezing. These symptoms can be a sign of bronchitis or pneumonia. Bronchitis is inflammation of the tubes that carry air to and from the lungs (bronchial tubes). Pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs.

Chest pain and shortness of breath could also signal a pulmonary embolism, or a blood clot in the lungs. This medical emergency may be fatal if untreated.

6. Chills

You might get chills at the start of a bacterial or viral infection. When you are cold, your muscles rapidly contract (squeeze) and relax to generate heat. Chills, which typically accompany a fever, cause you to become pale, feel cold, and shiver.

A fever and chills can occur with a cold, but it's not as common. You might instead have the flu or COVID-19 if you are shivering with a fever. COVID is an infection caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2. Other COVID symptoms include a cough, fatigue, and loss of taste and smell. The only way to confirm a COVID diagnosis is to get tested.

7. Nausea, Vomiting, and Diarrhea

Nausea with a cold—as well as vomiting and diarrhea—is not typical. Symptoms like these could signal something more severe, like the flu. It's important to get medical attention if you experience these symptoms consistently. They can cause you to become dehydrated.

8. Recent International Travel

It's important to see a healthcare provider if you have any symptoms after returning from a trip abroad. Traveler's diarrhea, for example, is a common illness that occurs in people who recently traveled to high-risk places. These include countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The hallmark symptom of traveler's diarrhea is loose, watery stools.

9. Sore Throat

A sore throat causes a painful or scratchy throat. This discomfort may make it hard to swallow. A sore throat may occur with a cold, but it's more typical with the flu.

Other illnesses that may cause a sore throat include:

• Allergies

• Mono

• Strep throat

• Tonsillitis (inflammation of the tonsils, which are two lumps of tissue at the back of your throat that protect against germs)

10. Symptoms in One Location

Another red flag it's more than a cold is a "localization" of symptoms, meaning you feel them in one specific area. Cold symptoms affect the upper respiratory system. Other illnesses are characterized by intense symptoms in one place. Strep throat, for example, causes a sore throat that makes swallowing difficult but typically will not cause full-body pain.

Sinus infections can cause headaches and even make your teeth hurt. An ear infection will usually cause pain and congestion in one ear, and mono can cause swollen tonsils.

Cold vs. Flu

A cold can present very similarly to the flu. It's important to know the difference between cold and flu symptoms to protect others from illness. Some people, such as older adults and those with a weak immune system, are more likely to develop complications from the flu.

Below is the difference between cold and flu symptoms. Please keep in mind that some overlap is possible.

When To Contact a Healthcare Provider

You can typically treat a cold and the flu at home. You'll want to contact a healthcare provider if your symptoms persist after 10 days or worsen.

See a healthcare provider if you have:

• A fever that lasts more than four days

• Dehydration

• Shortness of breath or trouble breathing

• Symptoms (e.g., a cough or fever) that go away and then return

• Underlying health conditions that worsen

Related: The Difference Between a Sinus Infection and a Cold

A Quick Review

A cold commonly causes a runny nose, congestion, coughing, and sneezing. You might have something other than a cold if you have symptoms like a sore throat, chills, diarrhea, nausea, and throwing up. Some of these symptoms often occur with the flu, allergies, COVID, mono, and strep throat.

A cold typically clears up within 10 days, so see a healthcare provider if your symptoms worsen or do not go away after that time.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are signs you are getting over a cold?

Improving symptoms is a sign that you are getting over a cold. Symptoms typically last seven to 10 days, but a cough and runny or stuffy nose may last up to 14 days.

You'll also notice changes in the color of your mucus. The mucus is usually clear at the start of a cold and then becomes green, yellow, or white a few days later.

2. How do you tell if it's a cold or bronchitis?

Cold symptoms can be similar to bronchitis symptoms. Bronchitis, in contrast, causes:

• Chest discomfort

• Coughing that brings up clear or yellow-green mucus

• Fatigue

• Fever

• Shortness of breath

• Wheezing

3. What are the four stages of cold?

A cold typically occurs in four stages, which include:

• Incubation: It takes about two to three days after exposure to develop cold symptoms. The incubation period, in which the virus replicates in your body, can last up to one week.

• Symptoms: These include a runny or stuffy nose, scratchy throat, sneezing, and tiredness. These symptoms can progress into coughing, loss of appetite, muscle aches, and sore throat.

• Remission: Symptoms typically last seven to 10 days. Some symptoms, such as a cough, can linger for up to 14 days.

• Recovery: Symptoms generally resolve on their own. Make sure you get plenty of rest and stay hydrated while you are recovering from a cold.

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