Yesterday you felt fine, but today your nose is running and your throat feels scratchy. Yep, those are the first symptoms of a cold, which typically appear in adults about one to three days after exposure to a cold-causing virus.What are you likely to feel like the rest of your week? Most often, symptoms of this upper respiratory tract infection crest around day four, and go away on their own within 7 to 10 days, says Aaron E. Glatt, MD, the chief of infectious diseases and a hospital epidemiologist at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, New York.Keep in mind that while seasonal colds peak in the winter and spring, it is possible to get one any time of the year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Cold symptoms vary from person to person and can include:Be aware that a cold’s contagious period has its own life span; it usually starts one or two days before cold symptoms kick in and continues as long as your symptoms are present, according to Cedars-Sinai. So it’s important to prevent spreading the infection by washing your hands frequently, fully covering your mouth and nose with your elbow or a tissue when coughing or sneezing, and not touching others if at all possible.What are the stages of a cold? Typically there are three.
