People usually feel much better by day five, but coughing and nasal drainage may last two weeks. This serious bacterial infection is technically streptococcal pharyngitis. It requires an antibiotic. Strep lacks other cold symptoms, such as nasal stuffiness. See a doctor.
Symptoms usually improve in two to three weeks, but some people cough for more than a month.
Often patients tell me they have the flu, but it's really a cold. Flu and cold infect the same tissues, but flu is severe, usually with headaches, muscle aches, significant fatigue, fever above 102 degrees and a significant cough. Get bed rest. Pneumonia When viruses or bacteria infect lung tissue itself, it's a serious health threat. Check with a doctor if the cough is severe, if you have a fever above 102 degrees or significant weakness, or if phlegm is bloody, thick, green or brown.