Cold – symptoms

Cold: Symptoms in the initial stages

The viruses that cause the common cold usually invade the body via the mucous membranes of the nose or throat. As a result, the first signs of a cold appear here as well. In most cases, a cold starts with an unpleasant throat scratch. Dysphagia and sore throat are other symptoms.

Among other things, cold and flu can be distinguished from the course of the first symptoms: In the case of a cold, the symptoms develop slowly. With flu, the symptoms start very suddenly and immediately with full strength. In general, a cold does not cause a sore throat for more than two to three days. If the sore throat persists beyond this period, it could be an inflammation of the tonsils (tonsillitis). You should then consult a doctor. Often, chills or headaches and body aches appear in the first few days.

In addition, a cold is usually accompanied by inflammation of the nasal mucous membranes (rhinitis). The nose swells, is clogged and can tickle or burn. Common symptoms of a cold include symptoms such as constant sneezing and pressure pain in the head. When brushing your nose, yellowish discolored mucus appears. These symptoms peak on the second day after the onset of the cold.

Diarrhea & Nausea?

A slight nausea is normal for a cold. However, if you feel that the nausea is getting worse during the cold, or a combination of cold and diarrhea, this is a sign of a bacterial infection. Staying with a cold nausea and diarrhea persist for a longer period, a visit to the doctor makes sense. If it is a bacterial infection, it will be treated with antibiotics.

In order to prevent symptoms like nausea and diarrhea from getting worse during a cold, you should not eat any fatty foods or drinks (such as cocoa) if possible. It is best to drink tea, water and broth. You should eat rather dry foods such as bread, rusks or bread rolls. Avoid yogurt, ice cream or sweets whenever possible.

Cold and nosebleed

Nosebleeds in colds is a common concomitant symptom of runny nose. When nosebleeds a small blood vessel has burst in the nose. This happens quickly with a cold. First, the nasal mucous membranes are irritated anyway by the virus attack. Secondly, nose blowing builds up a higher pressure on the nose. Frequent nosebleeds can also be an indication of growths or abscesses or even tumors in the nose. If you still suffer from nosebleeds after a cold, you should have a doctor check you.

Cold: symptoms later

In the further course of the cold affected persons usually develop a pronounced malaise. Those affected feel limp and dull. Often the cold accompany body aches.

In addition, back pain can occur with a cold. Back pain is usually an expression of tight muscles or stress. If they are symptoms of a cold, this is usually an expression of the general body aches. However, they may also be the result of an induced inflammation, for example of the pleura (peritonitis) or inflammation of the vertebral bodies (spondylodiscitis). If the back pain persists after the common cold symptoms have subsided, this is an opportunity to see a doctor.

fever

In some people, the cold is associated with fever – this is especially true in children. The level of the fever depends on the type of pathogen and the general state of health of the patient.

to cough

From the sixth day of illness symptoms such as dry cough or dry cough may develop in the case of a cold. Often the neck reacts even weeks after the cold sensitive. In order not to aggravate symptoms of a cold, you should definitely avoid tobacco and other throat irritants. If the cough persists for more than two weeks or hoarseness occurs, you should see a doctor. Usually, however, the symptoms disappear about six to eight days after the onset of the common cold.

Vote away?

In the case of a small proportion of those affected by a cold, the voice literally stays away during the course of the illness. This can be announced by a scratchy and rough feeling in the neck. Most of the time you can only talk with effort, eventually not even more. If the voice really goes away properly, this speaks for an inflammation of the larynx (laryngitis) and is a serious complication of the common cold. Symptoms such as dry, agonizing cough, extreme sore throat and high fever can be signs of inflammation of the larynx or vocal cords. If you lose your voice during a cold, you should definitely consult a doctor. Untreated laryngitis can permanently damage the vocal cords and larynx.

Sweating in case of a cold

Sweating with cold is also common. It helps the body to get rid of the pathogens. Most people sweat especially at night. But it can also come on the day, especially during physical activity, very sudden sweats.

Often with such a sweat the common cold is accompanied by dizziness. In such case, be sure to stop your current operation and sit or lie down. Dizziness with a cold speaks in most cases for an involvement of the ears.

Cold: earache

If your ears are closed during a cold, the body can no longer properly balance the pressure during movements, speaking, coughing or sneezing. This is because the connection between the inner ear and the throat area (Eustachian tube) is clogged or swollen. Dizziness with a cold therefore occurs frequently when in addition to the common cold also a middle or inner ear infection has occurred. But it can also be an indication of an organ involvement, for example, for a lung or heart muscle inflammation. Here is the visit to a doctor needed.

Earache in common cold is not commonplace and indicates that either viruses or bacteria have migrated upwards from the mucous membranes in the nasopharyngeal area as part of a secondary infection. The nasopharynx is connected via the so-called Eustachian tube with the inner ear. Through them bacteria and viruses can enter the ear and cause inflammation. Through the Eustachian tube, the pressure is compensated when speaking, coughing or sneezing. If the ear is closed during a cold, the Eustachian tube is swollen and pressure equalization is no longer possible.

Of middle ear inflammation are mostly affected children and adolescents. In adults, it rarely occurs, but can occur. A middle ear infection should be treated medically. It may cause permanent hearing loss. Sometimes pus accumulates in the middle ear. This is where a medical procedure can help. The pus presses on the ear and is usually the cause of very severe earache.

Cold: Symptoms of complications

In a cold, the mucous membranes in the nose and throat are weakened by the virus attack and more susceptible to other pathogens. In addition, bacteria can attack the body. Inflammation of the paranasal sinuses (sinusitis), the tonsils (tonsillitis) or the lung (pneumonia) is the most common.

Grippaler Infekt: Symptoms of sinusitis

If a toothache causes a cold, it is a sign of an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. Toothache in a cold indicates a bacterial secondary infection. It’s not directly the teeth that hurt. Usually the cheek or the area over the teeth hurts. However, as pain is rarely rare here, such pain is often confused with toothache.

Cold: Symptoms of tonsillitis

An inflammation of the tonsils is primarily due to symptoms such as dysphagia and pain during speech. The tonsils are red and swollen. Bad breath often occurs. Tonsillitis can usually be treated well with douching and gargling. If caused by bacteria, antibiotic therapy is useful.

Flu infection: symptoms of pneumonia

It may even develop a bronchitis or pneumonia from a cold. Symptoms here are strong cough and high fever. In addition, the sputum is often reddish-brown when coughing. Affected persons feel very weak. Pneumonia can be very dangerous and should be treated especially in children and the elderly.

Frequently, a cold causes neck pain in addition to the other symptoms. Neck pain is not primarily caused by the viruses. They are caused more by the fact that the whole body tenses. Especially with severe body aches, headache or toothache, this is done by a gentle posture of the body. To relieve the rest of the body parts, especially the head, the neck is often extremely tense.

Differences in symptoms: influenza and influenza

A cold is often confused in everyday life with a flu. Although the symptoms of cold and flu are similar, there are some clues to distinguish them. At first, the symptoms of a flu are very sudden and acute. In case of a cold, they develop over several days.

Cold and flu are usually associated with cold and cough. With a cold, the cold is stronger, with a flu, it is only partially imprinted. The coughing stimulus, however, is lower in the case of a cold. With flu, there is often a dry, irritating cough, which can be very painful. The headache with cold and flu are also different. With a cold, they are less strong and rather dull. When you have a flu, you have a strong and usually throbbing headache. Cold and flu are also associated with body aches. In contrast to a cold, the body aches in flu are stronger and often associated with muscle pain.

A cold with fever is rare, but can occur. The fever is usually low. When flu occurs very high fever, often up to 41 degrees. In general, sweating and shivering are less pronounced in the case of a cold, and in case of flu they accompany the fever. Those affected usually feel very weak and ill and also suffer from loss of appetite, weakness and circulatory problems. Simplistically speaking, in a cold symptoms are much less pronounced than with a flu.

Depraved cold: symptoms

It is dangerous if you do not spare yourself during the acute phase of the cold. When talking about a delayed cold, it means that you have not completely gotten rid of the cold.

Signs of a delayed cold is primarily the temporal factor: Sounding at a cold Symptoms not after about one week, but no later than after ten days, so there is probably a delayed cold. If a cold causes green mucus to appear when you cough or sneeze, this is almost a sure sign that the current symptoms are due to a bacterial infection. If a cold causes yellow mucus when coughing or sneezing, then viruses are probably the cause.

Frequent consequences of delayed inflammation are complications such as sinusitis and frontal sinusitis. If a headache occurs during a cold, it is often an indication of paranasal sinuses or frontal sinus involvement. Another sign of a delayed cold with complications is jaw pain. Colds and flu are usually not associated with jaw pain. They arise when the maxillary sinuses are inflamed. Also, an antritis is usually caused by bacteria and is an indication of a delayed cold.

Symptoms such as severe fever or chest pain also mean you should see a doctor. A bacterial infection can usually be controlled well by antibiotics. If you do not treat such inflammation, it can be dangerous. For example, if the bacteria attack the myocardium, life-threatening myocarditis may develop.

In any case, if you have a cold, watch closely for any symptoms that occur. Feel worse, stick to one Cold symptoms For more than usual, or if you experience symptoms that you have never had with a flu infection, you should consult a doctor. Even a cold called “simple” can otherwise have serious consequences.