Colds: Normal Viral Symptoms

• Colds cause nasal discharge, nasal congestion, sinus congestion, ear congestion, sore throats, hoarseness, coughs, croup, and red, watery eyes. When you combine all these symptoms, colds are the most common reason for calls to the doctor.
• Cold symptoms are also the number one reason for office and ER visits. Hopefully, this information will save you time and money and help you avoid some unnecessary trips to the doctor. You can be reassured the following are normal cold symptoms and children with these symptoms don't need to be seen:
  • Fever up to 3 days
  • Sore throat up to 5 days (with other cold symptoms)
  • Nasal discharge and congestion up to 2 weeks
  • Coughs up to 3 weeks