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Cold, Common
Medical Questions » Cold, Common
| Name: Cold, Common |
| Also known as: Coryza |
| Very common viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. |
Causes of Cold, Common
One or more of several hundred different rhino viruses. It is a distinct entity from influenza, which is caused by a different virus. Spreads from one person to another in droplets of moisture in the breath, in a cough or in a sneeze. Once inhaled, the virus settles in the nose or throat and starts multiplying rapidly. Crowds, confined spaces (eg. buses, aircraft) and air conditioners that recycle air are renown for spreading the virus. Most adults have a cold every year or two, usually in winter. Children, because they have not been exposed to these viruses before and so have no immunity to them, may have ten or more infections a year. |
Symptoms of Cold, Common
Sore throat and nose, runny and/or blocked nose, sneezing, cough, phlegm in the back of the throat, headache, intermittent fever and tiredness. |
Tests for Cold, Common
None necessary. |
Treatment for Cold, Common
No cure or prevention possible. The symptoms can be eased by aspirin or paracetamol for headache and fever, and medications for the cough, sore throat, runny nose and blocked sinuses. The more the patient rests, the faster the infection will go away. Many vitamin and herbal remedies are touted as cures or preventatives, but when subjected to detailed trials, none can be proved to be successful.
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Complications of Cold, Common of its treatment
A secondary bacterial infection may cause pharyngitis or sinusitis. |
Likely Outcome of Cold, Common
Usually lasts for about a week, but some people have a briefer course, while in others the first cold may lower their defenses so that they can catch another one, and then another, causing cold symptoms to last for many weeks. |
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