Common Cold Symptoms: What’s Normal, What’s Not

Your nose is constantly running. You're coughing and have trouble catching your breath. But do you have symptoms of a common cold? Perhaps you have flu or allergy symptoms instead.

If you understand common cold symptoms -- what you might feel with a cold -- you can take action, such as increasing the rest and fluids you get early in the illness when it might be most effective. Let's look at some common cold symptoms.

Common cold symptoms at onset

Colds usually begin abruptly with a sore throat followed by symptoms such as clear, watery nasal drainage; sneezing; a tired sensation; and sometimes a low-grade fever (below 101 degrees F). Postnasal drip causes the sore throat and cough that accompany colds.

For the first few days of a cold, your nose drips with watery nasal secretions. Later, these secretions may become thicker and darker. (Dark mucus with a cold virus does not necessarily mean that you have developed a bacterial infection, so don't beg your doctor for an antibiotic.)

A mild cough is a common cold symptom. The cough won't get much worse, but this common cold symptom is likely to last into the second week of your cold. If you suffer with asthma or other lung problem, a cold may make it worse. If you are coughing up dark mucus -- or if you are feeling a lot of distress low down in your lungs -- you may have a bacterial infection. It's a good idea to touch base with your doctor to find out if you need to be seen.

Usually, there is no fever with common cold symptoms. In fact, fever and more severe symptoms may indicate that you have the flu and not a cold.

Common cold symptoms usually start between one and three days after you are infected by a cold virus. Typically, they last for about three to seven days. At that point, the worst is over, but you may feel congested for a week or more. During the first three days that you have common cold symptoms, you are contagious. This means you can pass the cold virus to those you come in contact with.

Is it allergies?

Sometimes you might mistake symptoms of the common cold for allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever. If your cold symptoms begin quickly and are over within one to two weeks, chances are it's a cold -- not allergy. If the symptoms last longer than two weeks, check with your doctor to see if you've developed an allergy.

Allergies are caused by an overactive immune system. For some reason, your body overreacts to substances such as mold or pollen. It then releases chemicals such as histamine. This can cause swelling in your nasal passages, a runny nose, coughing, and sneezing. Allergies are not contagious, although some people may inherit a tendency to develop them.

For in-depth information, see WebMD's Common Cold or Allergies?