How Long Does a Cold Last?

And why it can be more complex for older adults

Kristen Fischer,

AARP

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En español

Published December 15, 2025

illustration of tea and tissues and an alarm clock wearing a scarf

Maryam Khaleghi Yazdi

The runny nose and congestion from a common cold may feel as if it will never end, but cold viruses — rhinovirus is the most common one — only last so long.

If you know that your symptoms are from a common cold and nothing else, you can do things to find relief and perhaps even shorten the time you’re under the weather. Most people develop symptoms within one to three days of exposure to a cold virus, the Cleveland Clinic says.

Age plays a role in how you respond to a cold. That is, the older you get, the less strong your immune system may be.

Typical duration of a common cold

From three to five days after exposure, you generally feel worse with a common cold, says Dr. Jeffrey Zavala, who sits on the board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Cold Count

Most adults contract about two to three colds each year (children have more), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports.

Other estimates say older adults have about one cold per year. While some experts say older adults get fewer colds, they do tend to last longer, the Mayo Clinic reports. There’s also a higher risk of complications from a cold, according to the CDC.

Symptoms can linger for several days, sometimes up to a week or two, says Dr. Keith S. Kaye, a professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Allergy, Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Rutgers University’s Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

“Typically, you should at least start feeling at least a bit better within four to seven days from when symptoms begin,” Kaye adds. “Complete, or almost complete, resolution of symptoms should typically occur within seven to 10 days.”

If a cold passes, you may still have a dry cough from lung irritation, which can last for another three weeks. This can be normal. The cough should slowly dissipate, Zavala says.

Age isn’t the only factor that goes into how long symptoms last, Kaye says. Other diseases that might compromise your immune system, like cancer, may cause symptoms to stick around longer, he notes.

There are two main reasons for this prolonged duration, says Dr. Hamadullah Shaikh, an assistant professor of medicine at Rutgers’ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. First, reduced mucus clearance can delay the removal of viruses from the respiratory tract; second, immunity naturally wanes with age. Both can contribute to “longer and sometimes more severe colds,” Shaikh explains.

Types of colds

Not all colds are the same. You may have a cold in your head or chest. Along with that, adenoviruses are more mild, while the flu, COVID-19 and RSV can cause more serious illness, says Dr. Ravi Ramaswamy, a professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine and medical education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

A common cold virus can turn into a chest cold if the virus moves from your nose and throat to your lungs. Sometimes, bacteria will cause chest colds.

Traditional common colds include such symptoms as a runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, dry cough, low-grade fever or fatigue. As long as you can keep the congestion moving, you may be able to prevent it from becoming an infection like sinusitis, Zavala says.

Can I shorten my cold?

How can you ease the discomfort or even shorten the time you’re sick?

Kaye says he’s not sure if there are any quick fixes. Rest and hydration are vital to kicking a cold, he adds. A nutritious diet and drinking enough water are key, as is avoiding alcohol, Ramaswamy says.

Zinc can shorten the duration of the cold, some research finds, but Kaye says the disadvantages — bad taste and nausea — often outweigh the benefits. You have to start the zinc within 24 hours of symptom onset, Shaikh says.

Taking vitamin C regularly may shorten the cold’s duration by about 8 percent, according to a 2018 report in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, but taking it when symptoms emerge is less effective, Shaikh says.

Treating a cold

Over-the-counter medications can offer relief, but check with your doctor about which ones to take. Pain relievers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs (Advil, Aleve), expectorants (Mucinex), decongestants (Sudafed, Afrin) or antihistamines (Zyrtec, Benadryl) can help with various symptoms, the Mayo Clinic says. But they won’t shorten how long you experience the cold.

Older adults need to be more careful with certain over-the-counter medicines. Drugs like ibuprofen and similar pain relievers can be harmful for people with high blood pressure, kidney problems or stomach issues, Ramaswamy says.

Decongestants such as phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) can raise blood pressure and may not be safe for people with heart disease or glaucoma. Cough suppressants that contain dextromethorphan (Delsym) can cause drowsiness or dizziness, which increases the risk of falls, Ramaswamy adds.

“In general, it is best to use the fewest medicines you need, for the shortest amount of time, and to check with your doctor or pharmacist before using any new over-the-counter product, especially if you are over 50 or have chronic health conditions,” he says.

You may want to look into home remedies too. The National Council on Aging suggests:

Eating chicken soup
Drinking tea with honey and lemon
Using a cool-mist humidifier
Gargling with salt water
Putting vapor rub on your chest
Softening your lips or nose with petroleum jelly
Sleeping at a 45-degree angle to keep congestion moving

When you need to see a doctor

If a cold eases up and then symptoms return, get evaluated by a doctor, Zavala says.

Respiratory ailments can make it more difficult to deal with colds, as can heart or lung disease, an immune deficiency or hypothyroidism, Zavala says. If you have an underlying condition, you need to be “more cautious about what’s going on” and may need to see a doctor sooner, he adds.

It’s OK to call your primary care doctor to see if they recommend an over-the-counter medication, Zavala says. That call is extra important if you’re on existing medications, to make sure there are no interactions, Zavala adds.

Viruses can be very hard to tell apart, so ask your doctor if you’re not sure what you’re dealing with, he says. Your health care provider can do a test to determine if you have a specific virus or tell if you’re dealing with multiple viruses. It’s possible to have two viruses at the same time, he notes.

Shaikh says you may want to seek medical care sooner for a cold if you’re on a medication such as corticosteroids or immune-suppressing medications.

Seek care if you have shortness of breath, chest pain, confusion or if symptoms feel worse after they initially improved, Shaikh adds. If you experience high fever, especially more than one episode, or can’t maintain adequate fluid and food intake, contact your primary care doctor, Kaye says.

“The more frail that you are and the more underlying comorbid conditions you have, such as diabetes, the more important it is to maintain adequate hydration and oral intake,” Kaye says. Age alone does not mean that you should contact your physician earlier, he adds.

When a cold develops into something more serious

When cold symptoms do not get better, it can sometimes be a sign that something more serious is going on, such as a sinus infection, bronchitis or pneumonia, Ramaswamy says. “That is why persistent symptoms always deserve medical attention,” he adds.

Head colds can develop into sinus infections, while chest colds can affect the lungs, Zavala says.

A cold can develop into pneumonia, which can be very serious in some older adults. If you have a chronic condition like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), symptoms may be more intense and linger after the cold has passed.

Pneumonia, which is when fluid gets into the air sacs of your lungs, comes with symptoms like fatigue, cough with or without mucus, wheezing, chest pain, high-grade fever, chills, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. A cold can also lead to an ear infection, the American Lung Association reports.

Bronchitis happens when the bronchial tubes become inflamed. Symptoms include low-grade fever, cough with or without mucus, fatigue, wheezing or chest pain. See your doctor if it doesn’t clear up within a few weeks or if the cough doesn’t subside, the American Lung Association says.

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Kristen Fischer is a contributing writer at AARP based at the Jersey Shore. She has also written for Health, WebMD, and McKnights and is the author of Zoo Zen: A Yoga Story for Kids.