Your cold and flu symptoms, explained
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There's a reason for each and every sniffle, sneeze, ache, and pain. Learn why your body behaves the way it does, and discover the quickest ways to feel better.
The Symptom: Sneezing
What it means: Your body is expelling bacteria and other particles with a sudden, involuntary burst of air. Don’t suppress a sneeze, as your body is trying to evict the irritants.
When to worry: Almost never, but if sneezing interferes with your life or persists after other symptoms are gone, talk to your doctor to find out if an allergy might be the cause.
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Home remedies: Using anti-viral tissues helps prevent the spread of viruses. No tissue? Sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands. You’ll be less likely to pass germs along.
Over-the-counter remedies: Some antihistamines (the sedating varieties) can help cut down on the sneeze reflex. But most experts advise you to leave this fairly innocuous symptom untreated.
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More From Real Simple:
• The Best Drugstore Cold and Flu Remedies
• Cold and Flu Prevention
• Why Does My Eye Twitch?
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The Symptom: Chills and Fever
What it means: Chills are the way the body generates heat when it feels cold. They usually precede a fever, the body’s method for defending itself by raising its temperature to fight a virus.
When to worry: Call your doctor if your temperature rises above 102 degrees, if a fever persists for 72 hours without breaking, or if you also have shortness of breath or dizziness.
Home remedies: To stay hydrated, sip your favorite liquids. Sponging off with warm water may also give you relief.
Over-the-counter remedies: Acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve) can lower a fever that’s making you uncomfortable.
The Symptom: Sore Throat
What it means: Mucus is dripping into the back of your throat, causing irritation and inflammation.
When to worry: If you have severe difficulty swallowing or breathing, call your doctor to rule out a more serious illness, such as a bacterial infection.
Home remedies: Gargle with warm salt water. Soothe a scratchy throat with liquids, such as caffeine-free tea and broth, or cool down a fiery one with an ice pop.
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Over-the-counter remedies: Acetaminophen or ibuprofen will help decrease inflammation.
The Symptom: Runny Nose
What it means: Your body has stepped up mucus production to remove the cold or flu viruses from your nasal passages.
When to worry: If your health doesn’t improve after one week, you could have a bacterial sinus infection, which may require treatment with an antibiotic.
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Home remedies: Drink fluids to thin mucus. Chicken soup may help reduce inflammation. Sniff gently into a tissue, as blowing hard can lead to sinus problems.
Over-the-counter remedies: Use a saline spray to help irrigate your nasal passages, or use an oral decongestant or an antihistamine (like Drixoral or Benadryl).
The Symptom: Sinus Pressure
What it means: Mucus has congested the nasal passages and may be trapped in the sinuses because they are not draining properly.
When to worry: If you have a fever of more than 102 degrees, you may have a bacterial infection, which can be treated with antibiotics.
Home remedies: Keep your sinuses moist by using a humidifier, or stand over a sink filled with hot water.
Over-the-counter remedies: A decongestant spray (such as Dristan or Afrin) can help ease congestion and swelling.
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The Symptom: Cough
What it means: A reflex that keeps the throat clear, a cough is triggered when excessive mucus (or some other irritant) has irritated the nerve endings in the respiratory tract.
When to worry: If you’re short of breath and coughing up blood or discolored mucus, you may have bronchitis, sinusitis, or pneumonia.
Home remedies: Skip the medicated cough drops; they have been proven ineffective. Instead, soothe an irritated throat with your favorite hard candy, or drink warm fluids.
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Over-the-counter remedies: Products with pseudoephedrine work but can make you sleepy. Nondrowsy versions with phenylephrine aren’t as effective. Naproxen may reduce throat inflammation.
The Symptom: Swollen Glands
What it means: Your lymph nodes are producing an army of infection-fighting cells to battle the invading virus.
When to worry: If your glands remain enlarged for several weeks after a cold or the flu is gone, that could be, in rare cases, a sign of a more serious illness, such as lymphoma.
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Home remedies: There’s not much you can do to reduce swollen glands. They should return to normal within a few weeks.
Over-the-counter remedies: Other cold or flu symptoms will probably bother you more, but acetaminophen or ibuprofen can ease any discomfort caused by the engorged glands.
The Symptom: Body Aches
What it means: More common with the flu, allover aches are a sign your body is releasing chemicals that help your white blood cells fight off infection.
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When to worry: Only if the aches are incapacitating, which is rarely the case with a cold or the flu.
Home remedies: Get plenty of rest, and take warm baths to soothe your muscles―or try using a heating pad or a heated water bottle.
Over-the-counter remedies: Acetaminophen or ibuprofen will relieve the pain.