But after a few days of misery, you might start to wonder: Am I actually getting better? The good news is, there are some clear signs that your body is kicking that cold to the curb. If you’re tired of feeling like a human tissue dispenser and want to know if the end is in sight, here are a few clues that you’re on the mend and headed back to your healthy, awesome self.
6 signs a cold is getting better
Getting over a cold can feel like it takes forever. If you’ve been wondering whether your cold is in the rearview mirror, here are a few signs to let you know you’re closer to feeling like yourself again.
1. There’s a change in your mucus color
Coughing up yellow or green gook? This is a surefire sign of being sick. When a virus infects your body, it immediately sends immune cells to fight the foreign invader. “These immune cells head right to the site of infection, which is often your nose and your sinuses, where your mucus is formed,” Dr. Li says. “When the battle begins, more and more of your immune cells will pile up in the mucus, and this changes the color from clear to white (and if the infection is progressing, the mucous can even change to yellow or green).”
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Tracking your mucus color can also tell you when you’re on the mend. Once “the color starts to change back to clear,” this is a signal that “your immune system has won, and the cold is easing up,” Dr. Li says.
2. You no longer have a fever
Whenever you run a fever during a cold, know that your body is busy fighting a virus. “Infection triggers a fever because high temperatures are useful to help the immune system kill viruses,” Dr. Li says. So, while fever and chills aren’t super pleasant, they’re a sign that your body’s defenses are functioning well.
Another good sign? When your fever breaks. “It’s because your immune system has won the battle,” Dr. Li says.
3. Your body aches went away
If your fever, cough, and stuffy nose don’t sideline you, your achy muscles will. “Body aches during viral infections are caused by inflammatory cytokines—i.e., special virus-killing proteins released by immune cells,” Dr. Li says. Again, while crappy in the short term, these symptoms are evidence that your immune system is working as it should.
As your aches start to go away, it’s a sign that your cold has run its course. “When the virus is vanquished, your immune cells turn off the cytokines, and your body aches go away,” Dr. Li says.
4. Other symptoms become less severe
Common cold symptoms like congestion, cough, and runny nose are your body’s way of defending itself. Whenever you breathe in a germ, it triggers a protective response from the lining of the nose and sinuses, according to New York-Presbyterian. This results in inflammation and increased secretions, which leads to the characteristic stuffy or runny noses you get during a cold. “Congestion in your sinuses and in your airways [also] causes irritation and sneezing,” Dr. Li says.
“When the virus is killed, there is less irritation,” he says. That means your congestion, cough, and runny or sneezy nose will ease up, and you’re one step closer to feeling as good as new.
5. You’re sleeping better
One of the suckiest symptoms of a cold: crappy sleep. “It’s hard to sleep when you have airway and sinus irritation, fever, and body aches caused by a cold virus,” Dr Li says. Luckily, this lack of sleep doesn’t last long. After a few days, you’ll start to notice that you can snooze for longer stretches without waking up with a sore throat (or to cough) or struggling to breathe through your nose.
“As your body clears the virus, these signs abate, and you start sleeping better,” Dr. Li says.
6. You have more energy
There’s a reason you feel totally wiped when you have a cold. “Your body responds to a virus infection by forcing you to rest, and this saps your energy,” Dr. Li says. “The cytokines that your immune system releases also can cause fatigue.”
Once your cold runs its course, you’ll start wanting to spend less time in bed. Getting your oomph back is a clue that you’re over the hump. “As you recover from a cold, your energy returns because you are returning to a normal, healthy state,” Dr. Li says.
How long does a cold usually last?
Typically, a common cold will last seven to 10 days, though it can stick around for two weeks. Most common colds follow a predictable timeline and develop in three stages, according to UnityPoint Health:
Stage 1: This is the early stage of your cold, between days one and three. You start to develop symptoms, but can still function pretty well.
Stage 2: The active stage of your cold, between days four and seven. This is when you feel the crappiest. On top of symptoms like sore throat, runny nose, and cough, you might also get body aches, fatigue, and a low-grade fever.
Stage 3: The late stage of your cold, between days seven and 10. This is the recovery phase. Your symptoms improve or may dissipate altogether.
How long is a cold contagious?
As long as you have symptoms, you can spread a cold, according to the National Health Service (NHS). But it’s also possible to transmit an infection even before your symptoms develop. That’s because it can take a few days after an exposure to a virus before you start feeling unwell. All things considered, figure most people are contagious for a week or two.
Even when you’re contagious, you can still reduce the risk of spreading a cold with a few simple strategies, per the NHS:
- Wash your hands often with warm water and soap
- Use tissues to trap germs when you cough or sneeze (and toss out used tissues ASAP)
- Avoid sharing towels or household items with others
Germs can survive on surfaces for 24 hours (some can last even longer), per the NHS, so disinfecting high-touch areas in your home (like light switches, doorknobs, and sinks) is also helpful to prevent the spread of viruses to people in your household.
How to ease cold symptoms in the meantime
Most colds are viral. Meaning, medicines like antibiotics are useless, so you just have to let a cold run its course. (If you have an infection, like a sinus infection, you’ll need antibiotics.) Still, there are things you can do to make yourself more comfortable as you ride it out. Here are some tried-and-true tips to treat your cold symptoms.
1. Stay hydrated: Warm fluids (think: tea, warm water with lemon, or broth) can soothe a scratchy throat, prevent dehydration, and ease congestion, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Alternatively, sucking on ice chips can temporarily numb a sore throat and keep you hydrated as well.
2. Coat your throat: Sip some tea or hot water with some lemon and honey to soothe a sore throat, per Johns Hopkins Medicine.
3. Take over-the-counter pain medicines: Aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines can help ease headaches and body aches, Dr. Li says.
4. Slurp some chicken soup: “Studies have shown the proteins in chicken soup can help quell the inflammation in your body,” Dr. Li says.
5. Gargle with salt water: A saltwater gargle can help reduce the pain and swelling of a sore throat. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per cup of warm water and gargle in your mouth for a few seconds at a time, per Johns Hopkins Medicine.
6. Use a humidifier: Dry air can worsen a sore throat, so adding some moisture to the air can be helpful, per Johns Hopkins Medicine. No humidifier? No problem. Simply put a shallow bowl of water near a heat source. As the water evaporates, it’ll slowly humidify the room.
7. Rest: Your body often needs more sleep when you’re sick. “Stay in bed and let your body spend its energy fighting the infection,” Dr. Li says.
When to see a doctor
Having a cold is no fun. But in most cases, it’s just a temporary inconvenience. With home remedies, you can usually treat a cold without seeing your doctor. And, after a week or two, you should be (mostly) symptom-free or at least on the road to recovery.
But if your cold is lingering for longer than two weeks, or your symptoms are severe, you could be dealing with a more serious infection. Talk to your doctor if you have any of the following signs or symptoms, per Dr. Li:
- Difficulty breathing
- Chest pain
- High fever (that doesn’t go away with aspirin)
- Coughing with dark-colored phlegm
- You are unable to keep down fluids (i.e., vomiting or diarrhea to the point of dehydration)
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