While children play in winter wonderlands, families nestle together near the fire, and workers attend their annual holiday party, viruses are plotting to give them a cold.
As an infectious disease specialist, I have learned even Santa Claus is not immune to the common cold. Most adults get an average of two to three colds a year, and the fall and winter seasons are when cold viruses are at their best.
The good news is these uninvited guests eventually go away. Here are some ways to tell if your cold is getting better.
 Signs your cold is getting better
 A cold is an infection caused by over 200 respiratory viruses, but the most common is a virus known as rhinovirus. Sometimes you don’t even know you have been expose because it usually takes several days after an exposure to a cold virus to develop symptoms.
Cold symptoms are often confused with the flu. One major difference with cold symptoms versus the flu are symptoms from a cold generally occur more gradually compared with the flu.
Clear mucus after white, yellow or green mucus
The viruses start by infiltrating inside our nose and the sinuses, which triggers our body to produce mucus to wash away the germs. The mucus starts off as clear, so this is often an early sign you have a cold.
Over the next several days, the mucus color may change to white, yellow or green. Although this can feel like you are getting worse, the change in color is a natural course of the illness. When the mucus becomes clear again, this is a sign you are on the mend.
Your symptoms are becoming less severe
The typical cold symptoms due to a cold gradually go away or slowly become less severe over days. Watch for these symptoms that your cold getting better:
- Fewer body aches
- Less nasal congestion
- Decreased coughing
- Resolved sore throat
It’s been more than a week since your cold started
Most colds last for generally a week to 10 days. The timing varies from person to person, depending on their underlying medical issues. In rare circumstances, certain…
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