Got a cold? Find out when to see your GP

After suffering for days with a runny nose, sore throat and other cold symptoms, you may wonder when it's time to see your GP.

In most situations, cold symptoms will be over within a week to 12 days. There are no real medical tests to determine whether you actually have a cold. No treatment is necessary for a cold, but self-help measures such as ensuring sufficient rest and fluids, alongside salt water gargles may prove beneficial. Some medications can relieve symptoms and a painkiller may help a fever or headache. In the UK, most doctors believe that both cough medicines and decongestants are probably of limited use.

If you have tried over-the-counter cold remedies without success, there are several prescription medications available that may help with symptoms such as nasal stuffiness and cough.

If you have a sore throat with fever and no cold symptoms, you should make an appointment to see your GP. This type of sore throat may be strep throat, a bacterial infection that needs treating with antibiotics.

If you have chest tightness, difficulty breathing and/or wheezing, see your GP. You may have an associated complication such as bronchitis. Or you could have asthma and a cold. In either case, your GP will need to see you to let you know if further treatment is necessary.

Colds can cause earache, mainly from congestion and swelling of the Eustachian tube, which connects the ear to the back of your nose. However, if decongestants don't help the pain or if it persists for more than a couple of days, check with your GP. You may have an ear infection. If your GP thinks you have a bacterial ear infection, then you may need antibiotics. Many ear infections are caused by viruses.

Also, if you have facial pain, tooth pain or yellow drainage from your nose, you may have acute sinusitis (inflammation and swelling in the sinuses, usually as a complication of a cold). While these symptoms can occur with just a cold, if you've had them for more than a week, you may need to see your GP.