Feeling Sniffly? Experts Reveal Just How Long Your Cold Could Last
Cold and flu season has officially started—womp womp. If you happen to be unlucky enough to catch a cold, it’s more than understandable to wonder how long it’s going to last. Are you going to be in misery for just a few days or a week-plus?
Turns out, the answer isn’t cut and dried. And, while doctors say there are a few factors that determine how long you’ll suffer through a cold, there are some at-home tricks you can do to get relief while you’re riding it out. Keep this info in mind the next time you catch a cold.
So, how long does a cold last?
The official answer, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is that you can expect it to take seven to 10 days to recover. But the real answer for each person is “it varies,” according to Richard Watkins, M.D., an infectious disease physician and professor of internal medicine at the Northeast Ohio Medical University. You might even recover more quickly.
Here’s the thing: Not everyone reacts to having a cold in the same way, he says. Some recover quickly and others take a little longer to feel better. There are a number of factors that come into play, including your individual immune response, how much of the virus that caused your cold you were exposed to, and whether you have any antibodies from being exposed to that virus before, Dr. Watkins says.
Take those elements into consideration, and it can explain why you might bounce back from a cold in two days, while your partner is sick for a week or more.
Common cold symptoms
The common cold usually causes these symptoms, according to the CDC:
sore throat
runny nose
coughing
sneezing
headaches
body aches
Keep this in mind if you’re trying to suss out if you might have a cold, the flu, or COVID-19: A cold “is generally not accompanied by fever,” says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. (However, if you think there’s even a remote chance you could have COVID-19, it’s a good idea to get tested, just to be safe and make sure you don’t expose anyone else.)
How to treat a cold
You don’t necessarily need to do anything to treat a cold and, if you feel OK-ish, you’re more than fine to just ride it out, Dr. Watkins says. “Just rest,” he says, noting that you can also take NSAIDs like Advil or Tylenol if you’re in any pain.
If you’re stuffy, Dr. Adalja recommends taking a decongestant like NyQuil or DayQuil for relief. “Saline rinses can help with congestion as well,” he says.
And, it’s worth noting, some research has shown that taking zinc within 24 hours after you develop cold symptoms may reduce the length of your illness by a day, Dr. Watkins says.
Drinking plenty of fluids can help, too, the CDC says. One thing you shouldn’t take, though, is antibiotics. They don’t work against viruses and may make it harder for your body to fight off a future bacterial infection if you happen to get one down the road, the CDC points out.
When to see a doctor for a cold
If you’re feeling lousy, don’t dismiss your symptoms as being from “just” a cold. Colds are the main reason that kids miss school and adults miss work, the CDC says, and you can feel awful when you have one.
Dr. Adalja recommends contacting your doctor if you’re immunocompromised or develop a fever or shortness of breath with your cold. And, if you have asthma or another respiratory condition, the CDC warns that you should be aware that your cold could turn into a serious illness, like bronchitis or pneumonia.
Overall, though, rest assured that if you get a cold, you should feel better in a few days with a little R & R.
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