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Common Cold

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A common cold is an infection of your upper respiratory tract — your nose and throat. It’s usually harmless, although it may not feel that way. If it’s not a runny nose, sore throat and cough, it’s watery eyes, sneezing and congestion — or maybe all of the above. In fact, because any one of more than 200 viruses can cause a common cold, symptoms tend to vary greatly. 10

The common cold is one of the most common illnesses, leading to more doctor visits and absences from school and work than any other illness every year. Caused by a virus that inflames the membranes in the lining of the nose and throat, colds can be the result of more than 200 different viruses. However, among all of the cold viruses, the rhinoviruses and the coronaviruses cause the majority of colds. 21

mdash;The common cold is a group of symptoms caused by a number of different viruses. There are more than 100 different varieties of rhinovirus, the type of virus responsible for the greatest number of colds. Other viruses that cause colds include enteroviruses (echovirus and coxsackieviruses) and coronavirus. In most cases, a specific virus causes a person to be ill only once, after which they are immune to that virus. However, because there are so many viruses that cause the symptoms of the common cold, people may have multiple colds each year and dozens over a lifetime. 19

There is no treatment for the common cold other than that aimed at relieving symptoms and keeping the body well-rested, -fed, and -hydrated. Because of the growing problem of drug resistance, doctors are being discouraged from prescribing antibiotics (which do not affect viruses) for colds unless secondary bacterial infection makes them necessary. There is no convincing evidence that vitamin C megadoses can prevent the common cold. 31

Symptoms of a cold usually appear 36 to 72 hours after exposure. The first symptom to develop is usually irritation in the nose and throat, then nasal congestion, sore throat (pharyngitis), sneezing, coughing, and runny nose (rhinorrhea). Nasal secretions are thin and profuse initially, but become thick and yellow as infection progresses. Headache, body pain, and malaise also commonly occur, but fever is rare. 23

During infection with a cold, the virus comes into contact with mucous membranes in the nose or eyes. There, the virus attaches to receptors on epithelial cells. In response to infection, the immune system triggers a cascade of events, including release of inflammatory cytokines, fluid exudation, local swelling, increased mucous production, and stimulation of sneeze and cough reflexes (Pitkaranta A et al 1998). One study demonstrated that nasal symptoms began 2 hours after exposure, while cough and sore throat symptoms began 10 to 12 hours after inoculation. In the early stages, the viral count is still low and, by taking rapid action, it may be possible to help your body mount an effective immune response that prevents the cold from worsening. 34

Seasonal changes in relative humidity also may affect the prevalence of colds. The most common cold-causing viruses survive better when humidity is low?the colder months of the year. Cold weather also may make the inside lining of your nose drier and more vulnerable to viral infection. 26

mdash;Features of the common cold usually include nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. A sore throat may be present on the first day but usually disappears; nasal symptoms (runny nose and congestion) become more bothersome. If a cough occurs, it generally develops on about the fourth or fifth day of symptoms, when nasal symptoms are usually resolving. 20

Colds spread in crowded indoor areas so if you can avoid the crowds and spend more time on the beach or in the countryside then you will reduce the risk of infection. Colds are also spread by contaminated surfaces such as door handles, telephone and slot machines. The tears from the eye drain into the nose and this is a common route of infection from contaminated fingers. Many other viruses are also spread by finger contact and this simple precaution could also help prevent infection from the many enteroviruses which cause the upset tummy often associated with summer travel. 46

One of the most distressing symptoms of the common cold is sore throat and many nonprescription drug products claim to provide relief for this condition. The Panel noted, however, that sore throat can be due to serious infection which should not be treated by self-medication. It recommended that labels on cough, cold, and related nonprescription drugs limit their claimed effectiveness to "minor throat irritation" and should advise consumers to seek medical help for serious throat problems. 18

A cold is caused by a virus that affects the nose and throat. It is the most common infectious illness, especially for young children. Young children may have 8 to 10 colds each year, with the highest number usually being during the first two years in child care or kindergarten and school. 25

The nose can only respond to irritative events such as a cold virus infection or dust or pollen entering the nose in a limited number of ways. Sneezing and nasal secretions are useful in removing dust and pollen from the nose but do not eliminate cold viruses since the virus is multiplying inside the nasal cells where it is safe. 5

Medications for the treatment of hayfever such as antihistamines and nasal steroids should be continued during a common cold infection as there is no evidence that they complicate recovery from infection. However, it may be useful to supplement the hayfever medication with paracetamol to control symptoms of sore throat, headache and sinus pain and use a topical nasal decongestant spray to alleviate symptoms of nasal congestion. 46

The common cold, also known as a viral upper respiratory tract infection, is a contagious illness that can be caused by a number of different types of viruses. Because of the great number of viruses that can cause a cold and because new cold viruses develop, the body never builds up resistance against all of them. For this reason, colds are a frequent and recurring problem. In fact, on average, preschool children have nine colds a year, those in kindergarten, 12 colds a year; and adolescents and adults, seven colds per year. 17

Common colds are caused by viruses and usually get better on their own in 5 - 7 days. Antibiotics work on bacteria, not the viruses which cause common colds. Here you’ll find all the information and helpful hints you need to avoid infection, help your symptoms and stop the spread. 25

The Panacea offers these health-extracts to help people investigate health-related subjects in greater depth using the references given in each paragraph. Kindly note that these are current extracts from the web, meant for research, and that these are not meant to be medical advise. For all your health-related needs you must consult trained and licensed personnel.

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