COMMON COLD

From the NIAID:

Sneezing, scratchy throat, runny nose—everyone knows the first signs of a cold, probably the most common illness known. Although the common cold is usually mild, with symptoms lasting 1 to 2 weeks, it is a leading cause of doctor visits and missed days from school and work.

Children have about 6 to 10 colds a year. One important reason why colds are so common in children is because they are often in close contact with each other in daycare centers and schools. In families with children in school, the number of colds per child can be as high as 12 a year. Adults average about two to four colds a year, although the range varies widely.

Seasonal changes in relative humidity 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.

More than 200 different viruses are known to cause the symptoms of the common cold.

There is no evidence that you can get a cold from exposure to cold weather or from getting chilled or overheated.

There is also no evidence that your chances of getting a cold are related to factors such as exercise, diet, or enlarged tonsils or adenoids. On the other hand, research suggests that psychological stress and allergic diseases affecting your nose or throat may have an impact on your chances of getting infected by cold viruses.

You can get infected by cold viruses by either of these methods.

• Touching your skin or environmental surfaces, such as telephones and stair rails, that have cold germs on them and then touching your eyes or nose
• Inhaling drops of mucus full of cold germs from the air

Symptoms of the common cold usually begin 2 to 3 days after infection and often include

• Mucus buildup in your nose
• Difficulty breathing through your nose
• Swelling of your sinuses
• Sneezing
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Headache

Fever is usually slight but can climb to 102 degrees Fahrenheit in infants and young children. Cold symptoms can last from 2 to 14 days, but like most people, you’ll probably recover in a week.

If symptoms recur often or last much longer than 2 weeks, you might have an allergy rather than a cold.

Colds occasionally can lead to bacterial infections of your middle ear or sinuses, requiring treatment with antibiotics. High fever, significantly swollen glands, severe sinus pain, and a cough that produces mucus may indicate a complication or more serious illness requiring a visit to your healthcare provider.

There is no cure for the common cold, but you can get relief from your cold symptoms by

• Resting in bed
• Drinking plenty of fluids
• Gargling with warm salt water or using throat sprays or lozenges for a scratchy or sore throat
• Using petroleum jelly for a raw nose
• Taking aspirin or acetaminophen—Tylenol, for example—for headache or fever

Nonprescription cold remedies, including decongestants and cough suppressants, may relieve some of your cold symptoms but will not prevent or even shorten the length of your cold.

Moreover, because most of these medicines have some side effects, such as drowsiness, dizziness, insomnia, or upset stomach, you should take them with care.

Nonprescription antihistamines may give you some relief from symptoms such as runny nose and watery eyes, which are symptoms commonly associated with colds.

Never take antibiotics to treat a cold because antibiotics do not kill viruses. You should use these prescription medicines only if you have a rare bacterial complication, such as sinusitis or ear infection. In addition, you should not use antibiotics “just in case,” because they will not prevent bacterial infections.

Although inhaling steam may temporarily relieve symptoms of congestion, health experts have found that this approach is not an effective treatment.

There are several ways you can keep yourself from getting a cold or passing one on to others.

• Because cold germs on your hands can easily enter through your eyes and nose, keep your hands away from those areas of your body
• If possible, avoid being close to people who have colds
• If you have a cold, avoid being close to people
• If you sneeze or cough, cover your nose or mouth, and sneeze or cough into your elbow rather than your hand.
• Handwashing with soap and water is the simplest and one of the most effective ways to keep from getting colds or giving them to others. During cold season, you should wash your hands often and teach your children to do the same. When water isn’t available, CDC recommends using alcohol-based products made for disinfecting your hands.
• Rhinoviruses can live up to 3 hours on your skin. They also can survive up to 3 hours on objects such as telephones and stair railings. Cleaning environmental surfaces with a virus-killing disinfectant might help prevent spread of infection.
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