Common cold

A cold is a mild viral infection of the nose, throat, sinuses and upper airways. It’s very common and usually clears up on its own within a week or two.

The main symptoms of a cold include:

a sore throat a blocked or runny nose sneezing a cough

More severe symptoms, including a high temperature (fever), headache and aching muscles can also occur, although these tend to be associated more with flu.

Read more about the symptoms of a cold

Symptoms

The symptoms of a cold usually develop within a few days of becoming infected.

The main symptoms include:

a sore throat a blocked or runny nose sneezing a cough a hoarse voice generally feeling unwell

Less common symptoms of a cold include:

a high temperature (fever) – this is usually about 37-39C (98.6-102.2F) a headache earache – severe earache may be a sign of a middle ear infection muscle pain loss of taste and smell mild irritation of your eyes a feeling of pressure in your ears and face  

The symptoms are usually at their worst during the first two to three days, before they gradually start to improve. In adults and older children, they usually last about 7 to 10 days, but can last longer. A cough in particular can last for two or three weeks.

Colds tend to last longer in younger children who are under five, typically lasting around 10 to 14 days. Read more about colds in children.