Stages of a Cold

'Aaacchhoooo'! A common sound one hears, especially when winter approaches and fall comes to an end. The best period for cold to develop is the dry, yet a bit cool weather of cold. You always know the signs of a common cold, and wish that it goes away as soon as possible. From an infant to an old person, every one has suffered from a common cold. We are all aware of some of the quickest remedies to get rid of a cold. But how many of us know, what are the stages of a common cold developing? The following paragraphs will do just that, help you know the different stages of a cold that makes your life miserable for a few weeks.

Stages of a Common Cold Developing

The first and foremost stages of a cold is, catching a cold. There are over 200 viruses of cold that can cause an infection. These viruses spread through hand to hand contact, inhalation of airborne infected nasal droplets containing the virus or spread through use of common objects. Therefore, it is very important to keep washing your hands often during a cold infection, and blow your nose in a handkerchief or tissue. You hands touch hundred's of different objects and the cold and flu viruses definitely get transferred from your hands onto the things you touch. When someone else comes over and touches the same object, the virus gets transferred. A cold virus can survive outside the body for 2 hours on objects it gets transferred on.

Once the virus enters the nose, and gets past the army of tiny hair lining the nose, they begin replication and causing an infection. After the common cold incubation period, one will begin to observe the symptoms of a cold. The initial symptoms tend to differ in every individual, but the common signs observed during the initial stages of a common cold developing are:

• Scratchy throat
• Headache
• Mucus buildup in the sinuses
• Nose congestion
• Breathing difficulty
• Sneezing
• Irritation within the nose

One will experience a watery discharge within a few hours of the first stages of a common cold developing. Slowly, as the stages progress, one may experience cough, postnasal drip, burning eyes, muscle aches, loss of appetite. Then, one will experience a full-blown cold infection, as sneezing and congestion of cold increases. One may experience fever, body ache and increase in respiratory congestion.

Many people wonder how long does a cold last. The stages of a cold last for about 1 to 2 weeks depending on the immunity level of an individual. In children, accompanying fever is more than 100 ºF. Adults tend to suffer from fever that is over 102 ºF. One should take care as high temperatures can lead to dehydration.

Common cold generally requires total bed rest to be treated. Avoid moving in crowded areas during the common cold contagious period. You should consult a doctor for common cold remedies for toddlers and nasal congestion remedies for children. There are many common cold remedies to treat a nasty infection.

This was all about symptoms of common cold that explain the stages of a cold. There is no permanent cure for the common cold, as the viruses keep undergoing mutations. The minute you experience the initial stages of a common cold developing, start taking some health precautions. It is the best time to try your chicken soup recipe for common colds. Hope, the above paragraphs have helped you learn what are the stages of a common cold.