At some point or another, almost everyone has been afflicted by the common cold. It causes mild yet irritating symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, and congestion and is incredibly contagious. Colds spread like fire in school and office settings because you may be contagious before any symptoms appear. In this article, we will discuss the various stages of the common cold and what symptoms you can expect. If you’re feeling sick, AFC Urgent Care Burlington is open 7 days a week to provide rapid illness treatment. Simply walk into the clinic when it’s convenient for you!

Stages of a Cold

When you first contract a cold, you enter what is called the incubation period. This is the period between when you first get infected and when you start showing obvious symptoms. During this stage, despite no outright symptoms being shown, the affected person is still very contagious and can spread the virus through coughs and saliva. Cold symptoms typically show up suddenly and can last over a week. Because colds are viral, they cannot be treated with antibiotics. During peak illness, you can use over-the-counter medications to manage your symptoms, but you should self-isolate to avoid spreading your illness to others.

Symptoms of a Cold

Cold symptoms typically appear a few days after you’ve been infected with the virus and can last well over a week. While cold symptoms can be miserable, they are unlikely to be severe. This means that colds typically don’t cause symptoms like a fever.

Common cold symptoms include:

• Sneezing
• Nose congestion
• Fatigue
• Sore throat
• Fever
• Cough
• Increase in mucus production

How To Prevent and Treat The Common Cold.

There are many different viruses that can cause a common cold. These viruses spread mostly through the air, and by direct or indirect contact with an infected individual. The instant a sick person sneezes, tiny droplets that are contaminated with the virus spread in the air and can easily be inhaled by nearby people. That is why when you're out in public places, especially during cold season time, you should always practice good hand hygiene and stay away from people who are sick. Most colds resolve on their own with time. It is important to stay hydrated and get plenty of rest so that your immune system has energy to fight off the infection. If your symptoms have not resolved or continue to worsen after 2 weeks, you should seek medical care to rule out the possibility that you have an illness more serious than a cold.

Visit AFC Urgent Care Burlington for Convenient Illness Care

If you’re feeling under the weather, seeking medical care for a diagnosis is the fastest way to get on the road to recovery. At AFC Urgent Care Burlington, our board-certified medical providers are available 7 days a week to provide patients near Burlington, MA with rapid illness care. We accept most medical insurance plans, and offer affordable care for self-paying patients. Our clinic accepts walk-in patients 7 days a week and we’re open everyday from 8am to 8pm. Simply walk into the clinic when it’s convenient for you!