Common cold: symptoms, how long it lasts and what helps

The NHS says cold symptoms come on gradually over 2 to 3 days. The main symptoms are a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat, a hoarse voice, a cough, and feeling tired and unwell. You may also have a high temperature, aching muscles, a loss of taste and smell, and a feeling of pressure in your ears and face.

NHS inform lists the less common symptoms as a high temperature (usually about 37 to 39 degrees Celsius), headache, earache (severe earache may be a sign of a middle ear infection), muscle aches, loss of taste and smell, mild irritation of the eyes and pressure in the ears and face.

In young children symptoms can look different. The NHS says symptoms of a cold can last longer in young children, and that they may also be irritable, have difficulty feeding and sleeping, breathe through their mouth, and be sick after coughing.

The NHS says you should begin to feel better in about 1 to 2 weeks, and NHS inform gives the same timescale. Symptoms can last longer in young children.

The NHS says to see a GP if your cold symptoms do not get better after 10 days, you have a high temperature for more than 3 days, or you have a cough for more than 3 weeks.

NHS inform says there is no cure for a cold, but there are things you can do to look after yourself at home. The NHS says you can usually treat a cold at home without seeing a GP.

• Get plenty of rest.

• Drink lots of fluid, such as water, to avoid dehydration.

• Eat healthy food; it is common for small children to lose their appetite for a few days.

• Gargle salt water to soothe a sore throat (not suitable for children).

• Drink a hot lemon and honey drink to soothe a sore throat; do not give honey to children under 12 months old and do not give hot drinks to small children.

• Breathe in steam to ease a blocked nose, for example by sitting in the bathroom with a hot shower running. Do not let children breathe in steam from a bowl of hot water because of the risk of scalding.

• Do not smoke, as it can make your symptoms worse.

The NHS says a pharmacist can advise on the best medicine, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to ease aches or lower a temperature, decongestant nasal sprays, drops or tablets to unblock your nose (not to be used by children under 6), and vapour rubs to ease chesty coughs in babies and small children. Nasal sprays should not be used for more than a week as this can make symptoms worse.

Take care not to double up. The NHS and NHS inform both say not to use other cough and cold medicines if you are also taking paracetamol and ibuprofen tablets, because you may take more than you should. Do not give aspirin to children under 16.

The NHS says there is little evidence that supplements such as vitamin C, echinacea or garlic prevent colds or help you get better more quickly. Antibiotics do not work against colds, as they only work for bacterial infections.

The NHS says cold and flu symptoms are similar but flu tends to be more severe. Flu appears quickly, within a few hours, affects more than just your nose and throat, and makes you feel exhausted and too unwell to carry on as normal. A cold appears gradually, mainly affects your nose and throat, and usually leaves you well enough to carry on as normal, for example going to work.

The NHS says some cough and cold medicines are not suitable for babies, children and pregnant women, so check with a pharmacist before buying one. The NHS guidance on medicines in pregnancy says that before taking any medicine when you are pregnant, including painkillers, you should check with your pharmacist, midwife or GP that it is suitable, and this applies to medicines bought from a pharmacy or shop as well as prescribed ones.

It also notes that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has confirmed taking paracetamol during pregnancy remains safe. Not all natural or herbal remedies are safe in pregnancy, so tell your midwife, doctor or pharmacist if you use any.

The simple self-care measures above, rest, fluids and steam, are the same in pregnancy. If a cold is not improving, you feel short of breath, or you are worried, contact your GP or midwife.

Yes. The NHS says you are infectious until all your symptoms have gone, which usually takes 1 to 2 weeks and can be longer in babies and young children. NHS inform says a person can start spreading a cold from a few days before their symptoms start. Colds spread through germs from coughs and sneezes, which the NHS says can live on hands and surfaces for 24 hours, and by touching contaminated objects and then your mouth, nose or eyes.

To reduce spread, wash your hands often with warm water and soap, use tissues to trap germs when you cough or sneeze and bin them quickly, clean surfaces regularly, and avoid sharing towels, cups or toys. The NHS says if you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough for normal activities, try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until you feel better. The flu vaccine does not prevent colds.

NHS inform adds that different viruses can cause a cold, so you can have different colds one after another.

The NHS says to see a GP if you have a high temperature for more than 3 days, your cold symptoms get worse, your temperature is very high or you feel hot, cold or shivery, you feel short of breath or have chest pain, you are worried about your child's cold symptoms, your symptoms do not get better after 10 days, you have a cough for more than 3 weeks, or you have a long-term condition (for example diabetes or a heart, lung or kidney condition) or a weakened immune system.

NHS inform says colds usually clear up without causing further problems, but the infection can sometimes spread to the chest, ears or sinuses. Speak to your GP practice if you are more short of breath than usual, have pain when breathing in or coughing, feel confused, dizzy or lightheaded, or have had a fever for more than 3 days. If your GP is closed, phone 111.

Most colds are managed at home with help from a pharmacist, who can advise on suitable medicines. A GP or NHS 111 is the route if red-flag symptoms appear or a cold is not settling. Private GP services can also assess symptoms, but antibiotics are not recommended for a cold in either setting because they do not help.