The symptoms of URIs are often shared across many conditions.  Although most URIs are due to infections by common cold viruses, pay attention to your symptoms and contact a Campus Health Service provider if you have any questions or concerns about your symptoms.

URI symptoms peak within 3 - 5 days.  Common symptoms of an URI  include:

• Runny nose (nasal discharge is clear in the beginning and may become yellow or green at the end of the illness - this does NOT mean that you have a bacterial infection and need antibiotics)

• Sore throat

• Cough (may last 2 - 3 weeks)

• Fever (<102ºF, lasting less than 3 days)

• Laryngitis

Most symptoms will go away without treatment in 7 - 14 days.  Antibiotics are ineffective against viruses; they will not cure or shorten the duration of your cold.  Over-the-counter cold and cough medications and acetaminophen do not shorten the duration of the URI, but they help to ease your symptoms.  Treating your symptoms while your own immune system fights off the infection is the only treatment available.

If you feel your symptoms worsening after 3 - 5 days, you develop new symptoms, your symptoms do not improve after 14 days, or you experience the symptoms listed below, contact a Campus Health Service provider so that he/she may consider other conditions, such as pneumonia, bronchitis, or strep throat.

• Fever of 102ºF and higher for more than 24 hours
• Severe sore throat
• Severe ear pain
• Coughing up discolored mucus or have chest tightness and difficulty breathing

Tips to ease your symptoms:

1. Increase your fluids to 2 - 3 quarts daily.  These drinks should be low in caffeine and alcohol, which act as diuretics causing you to lose fluids.  Try some of the following:

• Water
• Kool-aid®
• Juices
• Broths
• Gatorade®
• Jello®
• Popsicles®

3. Take Acetaminophen (i.e. Tylenol®) to relieve fever and aches (take as directed).  Taking Aspirin is discouraged in viral illnesses because of the risk of Reye’s Syndrome.

4. If your throat is sore, gargle with warm salt water to promote healing.  Mix 1 teaspoon of salt into a large glass of warm water and gargle at least 4 times a day.  Also available for relief are throat sprays (Chloraseptic®),  lozenges or hard candy.

5. To relieve congestion and other related symptoms, inhale hot steam in the shower/bath, place your face over a pot of hot, steamy water or use a vaporizer.  You can also take an over-the-counter decongestant such as Sudafed® or use nasal sprays (i.e. Afrin®) (take as directed).

6. If the infection has spread to your chest and you have a productive cough, try a cough syrup such as Robitussin® or drink Tabasco® Sauce in water (5 - 10 drops in a glass of water, 2 - 3 times a day).  This will help clear your chest.

7. Prevent the spread of infection to others by washing your hands frequently.
 

References
www.icsi.org