Your Immune System Is Working Overtime However, this heightened immune system response does make your cold symptoms worse. The inflammatory response makes congestion and headache symptoms worse, and if you have a virus, the immune system will raise your body temperature more so at night in an attempt to kill it.
But cough and cold symptoms are often at their worst right when you want to sink into a deep slumber. This happens for several reasons. The immune system's circadian rhythm along with increased body temperature, changes in body position, and a lack of distractions all play a role in nighttime cough and cold symptoms.
This nighttime spike in immune system activity and inflammation can also bleed into the morning hours, he says. So if, despite your symptoms, you're able to sleep through the night, you may find that you feel worse first thing in the morning when you wake up.
At night, there is less cortisol in your blood. As a result, your white blood cells readily detect and fight infections in your body at this time, provoking the symptoms of the infection to surface, such as fever, congestion, chills, or sweating. Therefore, you feel sicker during the night.
Our circadian rhythms plus a sharp increase in immune system activity are contributors. Feeling sicker, or more anxious, at night? You are not imagining it. Your body's circadian rhythms, and a nocturnal spike in immune system activity, can contribute to an exacerbation of physical, and mental, symptoms.
Getting extra sleep when you're sick doesn't just give you a few hours of respite from unpleasant symptoms: Sleep is like medicine for the immune system, ultimately helping you make a full recovery from an illness. “Sleep is the only time of anyone's day or night where we have restoration processes happening.
The worst day of the common cold is often day two or three. That's when symptoms peak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The common cold lasts from seven to 10 days and goes through three stages. The incubation period of one to a few days, followed by the first stage with the onset of symptoms. In the second stage (from the fourth to the seventh day) cold symptoms worsen and peak.
Cold and flu symptoms such as a blocked nose or cough usually subside after 7-10 days and the absence of these things is quite an obvious indication that you are on the mend.
You can spread the common cold from a few days before your symptoms appear until all of the symptoms are gone. Most people will be contagious for up to 2 weeks. Symptoms are usually worse during the first 2 to 3 days, and this is when you're most likely to spread the virus.
Rest : This is the time to recharge your body's immune system. Rest and sleep are the best ways to do that.
Avoid Cold and Damp Environments
So if you're fighting a bug, it's best to stay warm and dry.
If symptoms get worse instead of better after 3 days or so, the problem could be strep throat, sinusitis, pneumonia, or bronchitis, especially if your child smokes.
There's no cure for a common cold, but it usually goes away within a week to 10 days. If you don't feel better in 10 days, see a healthcare provider.
Helen (Eleni) Xenos, a One Medical doctor in Chicago, describes the typical progression of the common cold: Day 1: Fatigue, headache, sore or scratchy throat. Day 2: Sore throat worsens, low fever, mild nasal congestion. Day 3: Congestion worsens, sinus and ear pressure become very uncomfortable.
Days 4-6. Common cold symptoms mean that, because of your snotty situation, come days four to six you may also develop a mild cough. Due to inflammation around the airways, the cough may persist after your other symptoms are long gone.
DAY 4 to 7:
In the peak stage of a cold, your symptoms may reach their maximum intensity, resulting in effects such as a runny nose, cough, sinus/nasal congestion, body aches, headache and fatigue. In some, cases, this may also lead to a fever.
The stages of a cold include the incubation period, appearance of symptoms, remission, and recovery. The common cold is a mild upper respiratory infection caused by viruses.
In adults, cold can last seven to 10 days. The symptoms usually are at the worst in the first three to four days.
You Aren't Getting Enough Rest
Sleep helps keep your immune system working like it should. Once you have a cold, you need to catch enough Zzz's to help your body fight off the virus. Take it extra easy during the first 3 days. Too little shut-eye can also make you more likely to get a cold.
In fact, getting fresh air is good for you when you're feeling under the weather. When you're cooped up inside, you're sharing the same air with those around you. So every time someone coughs or sneezes inside, those infected droplets are still in the air.