How Long Does a Common Cold Last? (2024)

The common cold usually goes away in less than a week. How long a cold lasts depends largely on your age, general health, and the type of cold virus you get.

Cold infections, which affect the upper respiratory tract (nose, sinuses, and throat), progress through four stages: incubation, early symptoms, peak symptoms, and recovery. You may develop different symptoms at each stage.

Various home remedies and over-the-counter medications may help ease these symptoms, However, there is no cure for the common cold,

What Causes a Common Cold

A cold is a type of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) that can be caused by hundreds of different respiratory viruses, including:

• Rhinoviruses
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
• Parainfluenza viruses
• Adenoviruses
• Coronaviruses
• Human metapneumovirus (hMPV)

Rhinovirus is the most common cause, accounting for between half and two-thirds of all colds. All of these viruses follow a pattern from the time a person is infected to when the immune system gets the infection under control.

Stage 1: Incubation

The incubation period is the time between when you are infected and when you get the first symptoms—so you don't display symptoms until after the incubation period has passed.

With most cold viruses, but rhinovirus in particular, the incubation period is very short. Typically, you'll first show symptoms 24 hours after being infected. However, it may take as little as 12 hours or as long as 72 hours for you to feel ill from rhinoviruses.

Some other cold viruses take longer. For example, the incubation period lasts up to five-and-a-half days for adenoviruses.

Stage 2: Early Symptoms

Stage 2 of a common cold lasts approximately one to three days from the first appearance of symptoms. It usually starts with a scratchy sensation in the back of the throat, progressing to a sore throat.

You may also have a runny nose and feel more tired than usual. Sneezing and congestion are also common.

As soon as symptoms appear, you are contagious. This means that you can spread the virus to others unless you take precautions like staying home, covering coughs and sneezes, and washing your hands frequently.

Stage 3: Peak Symptoms

Stage 3 usually lasts from day four to day seven. At this stage, the immune defenses have fully kicked in. Your frontline innate immunity attacks all foreign invaders, and your secondary adaptive immunity targets the type of virus you have.

During this stage, you'll probably feel your worst as symptoms become more severe.

The symptoms of stage 3 may include body aches, coughing, hoarseness, constant sneezing or runny nose, and severe congestion with postnasal drip. You may develop a fever, but this is more common in children than adults. A fever is also rare with rhinovirus infections.

At this stage, rest is key to getting over the cold faster. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications like Tylenol (acetaminophen) can help control fever, but contact a healthcare professional if you have a fever higher than 105 degrees F or one that lasts longer than 48 to 72 hours.

To avoid dehydration, drink plenty of fluids. Adults can use OTC decongestants or cough suppressants to ease cold symptoms, but research suggests they don't help children. Speak with your child's pediatrician before using any cold and flu medication.

Stage 4: Recovery

Stage 4 of a cold lasts from day seven of your illness until your symptoms fully resolve. You may feel ready to return to normal activity by this time, but some symptoms may persist for as long as two weeks.

Some people may develop a nagging cough, called a postinfectious cough, that can persist for up to eight weeks. It is mostly due to lingering inflammation that causes postnasal drip. It is more common with influenza (flu) and COVID-19 but can also occur with severe colds.

If you develop a lingering cough, speak with your healthcare provider to ensure that you haven't developed complications like pneumonia.

Factors That Affect the Duration of Colds

People with strong immune systems can often get over a cold in a few days. However, mild symptoms develop into a more serious infection in those with lower immunity, including infants, older adults, and people with underlying health conditions including immunocompromised persons.

Factors that put you at risk for a cold that lasts more than a week include:

• Being 65 or older
• Being under five years of age
• Poor nutrition
• Cigarette smoking
• General poor health
• Having asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Having a compromised immune system, such as caused by HIV or chemotherapy

Summary

The common cold lasts less than a week and goes through four characteristic stages. The incubation stage lasts one to several days, followed by the appearance of early symptoms (days one to three). The third stage involves peak symptoms (days four to seven), followed by the recovery stage which can sometimes persist with lingering symptoms for 14 days or more.

You can ease symptoms and speed your recovery by taking care of yourself and resting.