What are the 5 stages of cold? (2023)

What are the 5 stages of cold?

Stage 3: Days 8 to 10 (End/Late)

A cold typically wraps up around day 10. There are, of course, exceptions. If you're still feeling the effects, your symptoms worsen, or your fever increases then it's time to re-evaluate and think about a different course of treatment.

Cold and flu symptoms such as a blocked nose or cough usually subside after 7-10 days and the absence of these things is quite an obvious indication that you are on the mend.

Days 3 to 5: Cough and More Nasal Congestion

You may notice that mucus from your runny nose has become thicker, with a yellow or green tinge. This usually is due to a spike in the number of white blood cells your immune system has dispatched to overcome the virus, according to the Mayo Clinic.

At night, there is less cortisol in your blood. As a result, your white blood cells readily detect and fight infections in your body at this time, provoking the symptoms of the infection to surface, such as fever, congestion, chills, or sweating. Therefore, you feel sicker during the night.

On the second and third days, you're likely to have worse symptoms, such as a consistently runny nose and increased sore throat. You may also have a low-grade fever with a temperature less than 102°F. You may not feel much different than you did the first day if your at-home remedies are working.

If you're sleeping a lot when you have a cold, flu, or fever, it's because your body needs the rest. Sleeping more than usual is helping your body build up its immune system and fight off your illness.

"You're most contagious during the first two days after symptoms appear, when nasal secretions are loaded with the virus," says Melanie Mouzoon, M.D., a board-certified pediatrician and Managing Physician of Immunization Practices and Travel Medicine at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic.

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.

Can a cold go away in 3 days?

But more often, those pesky symptoms stick around and leave you feeling sneezy and sniffly. Colds usually last 3 to 7 days, but sometimes they hang on as long as 2 weeks. If you're under the weather for longer than that, one of these things could be to blame.

This nighttime spike in immune system activity and inflammation can also bleed into the morning hours, he says. So if, despite your symptoms, you're able to sleep through the night, you may find that you feel worse first thing in the morning when you wake up.

Most colds last for 7 to 10 days. There is no way to cure the common cold, but certain remedies can help lessen the symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , most adults recover from a cold in about 7 to 10 days.

Over-the-counter medications : Over-the-counter decongestants, antihistamines and pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, can reduce some cold symptoms.

Stay away from cold foods and drinks

While cold foods and drinks may give us relief – these, definitely, would not be as relieving if we have cough. Especially if we have dry cough, cold foods and drinks may do more damage than good. Cold consumption may cause dryness in the throat, leaving your throat dry and itchy.

If you've had cold symptoms for 10 days or fewer and you've been fever-free for 24 hours, you're probably safe to go to work. Keep your tissues, over-the-counter remedies, and hand sanitizer close by, and try to remember that even though you're miserable now, you'll likely feel better in a few days.

Is it better to sleep in a cold or warm room when sick?

Many people like sleeping in a cool room, but don't make it so cold that you wake up shivering in the middle of the night. When you're feeling sick, you might want to consider raising the temperature a little, rather than letting the thermostat drop. Just don't forget to change it back when you're feeling better.

Eat a diet that follows the acronym, BRAT – bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. Most people suffering from diarrhea can tolerate a few of these simple foods. Bland foods. Although not super exciting, very plain and bland foods can help ease symptoms.

There's no way to cure a cold—or sweat it out. Breathing in warm, moist air can help alleviate cold symptoms, like congestion. Light exercise can increase blood flow, which also might help with congestion.

While the duration of your symptoms may vary, many people wonder how to cure a cold in 24 hours or even overnight. The best way to tame a cold fast is to stay home, rest, drink plenty of fluids, gargle with salt water, take an OTC medication, and humidify the air.

And here's a more important solution: It's always important to eat well — especially when you're sick. Not eating when you're sick can inhibit your body's ability to heal itself. While you might crave junk foods while you're sick, they won't help your body heal either.

It's a myth!

Because oranges are rich in vitamin C, we believe – falsely – that eating them can help cure a cold. Let us be clear: after the onset of cold symptoms, eating oranges or drinking orange juice is not an effective treatment.

Colds and the flu cause many of the same symptoms. But colds are usually mild, while the flu tends to be more severe. A cold often starts with feeling tired, sneezing, coughing, and having a runny nose. You may not have a fever, or you may run a low fever—just 1 or 2 degrees higher than usual.

The stages of a cold include the incubation period, appearance of symptoms, remission, and recovery. The common cold is a mild upper respiratory infection caused by viruses.

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.

Are you contagious at end of cold?

The common cold is infectious from a few days before your symptoms appear until all of the symptoms are gone. Most people will be infectious for around 2 weeks.

A typical cold will last about 10 days, with the body's immune system eventually getting rid of the infection on its own. During the life of the cold, it can seem to actually get worse. Sometimes, complications may arise that require a doctor's intervention.