Introduction
A cold is usually harmless and usually goes away on its own within a week. Even treatment does not shorten the duration, only the severity of the cold symptoms can be alleviated by various means. There are, however, certain warnings for which a visit to a doctor is certainly advisable. However, there are also certain groups of patients who should consult a doctor at the first signs of a cold.
When should you go to the doctor with a cold?
If, in addition to the typical symptoms of a cold, certain other complaints occur, the cold symptoms increase significantly in intensity or last for an unusually long time, a doctor should be consulted if the cold seems harmless at first. The most important warning symptoms include In addition, there are also patients who should see a doctor at the first sign of a cold even without these warning symptoms. These include
- Fever above 39°C (increasing)
- Severe cough with yellowish sputum
- Frequent nosebleeds
- Heavily swollen lymph nodes in the neck and head area
- Strongly persistent pain in the neck, head or chest area
- Duration of typical cold symptoms beyond 7-10 days
- Patients with immunosuppression
- Asthmatics and patients with COPD
- Pregnant women
- Infants
- Patients with advanced heart failure
A cold, which is usually caused by viruses, is usually accompanied by unpleasant but rather harmless cold symptoms such as sore throat, cough, cold, headache and aching limbs as well as tiredness and listlessness.
These symptoms usually disappear on their own within seven days, regardless of any therapy that has been initiated. If they do not, a doctor should be consulted. But even before this time, if the symptoms are significantly worse and are not slowly improving as expected, it is advisable to consult your family doctor.
Other warning symptoms that can accompany a cold require a visit to a doctor: significantly higher temperatures (fever above 39°C) as well as the other symptoms already mentioned above. However, a cold should not be played down, as the body is weakened overall. In particular, sport or strenuous physical work should be avoided during a cold, as the infection can spread to the heart. This weakens the heart muscle and would result in a heart muscle inflammation (myocarditis), which can be life-threatening.
- What is a delayed cold?
- Course of a cold
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