Signs It Could Be More Than a Cold
Symptoms Come On Fast
Chills
Increase in Temperature
Body Aches
Wheezing
Cough With Mucus
Fatigue
Sore Throat
Headache
Chest Tightness or Pain
Shortness of Breath
Ear, Face, or Eye Pressure
Symptoms That Don't Go Away
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SOURCES:
CDC: “Cold Versus Flu,” “Strep Throat: All You Need to Know.”
MedlinePlus.gov: "Fever.”
Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations. 3rd edition: “Chapter 211: Fevers, Chills, and Night Sweats.”
Nicklaus Children’s Hospital: “Chills.”
American Lung Association: “Pneumonia,” “Shortness of Breath: Symptoms, Causes, and Risk Factors.”
Asthma UK: “Symptoms of Asthma.”
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: “Bronchitis.”
Mayo Clinic: “Fever,” “Wheezing,” “Food Allergy,” “Acute Sinusitis,” “Fatigue Causes.”
Harvard Medical School: “Influenza: how to prevent and treat a serious infection,” “How long does the flu last?”
FamilyDoctor.org: “When a Chest Cold Is Something More.”
American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology: “Headaches Connected to Allergies and Sinus Problems,” “Rhinitis (Hay Fever),” “Sinus Infection.”
Teens Health From Nemours: “Coping With Colds (For Teens).”
Cleveland Clinic: “Pediatric Ear Infections.”
Neha Pathak, MD, FACP, DipABLM, is part of WebMD's Medical Team, which is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of health information on WebMD. She oversees a national network of doctors that reviews content across the site and works with the editorial teams that create it. This includes news, special reports, WebMD Magazine, videos, mobile applications, tools, and health reference content. She also reports on topics related to lifestyle and environmental impacts on health for WebMD and Medscape.