generally the common cold can be treated at home and managed with over-the-counter medications. however if you develop more severe symptoms such as shaking chills high fever (greater than 102 f) severe headache neck stiffness vomiting abdominal pain difficulty breathing chest pain confusion or failure to improve after 10 days you should consult your physician or health-care practitioner immediately. infants 3 months of age or younger who develop a cold or fever should consult their health-care practitioner as well. if you have a sore throat and a fever with no other cold symptoms you should also be evaluated by your physician. this illness may be strep throat a bacterial infection requiring treatment with antibiotics. finally if you notice facial pain or yellow/green drainage from your nose accompanied by a fever it is possible that you have a sinus infection (sinusitis) that would benefit from a medical evaluation and a possible course of antibiotics.
when should i consult a doctor or other health care practitioner about a cold?