There would be hardly any person who has not heard about ‘Common Cold’. Common cold visits almost all of us more than once a year. Sore throat, cough, running nose, sneezing are all common known symptoms of cold.
Common cold is a viral infection in the upper respiratory tract, which includes nose, throat, trachea (the tract that carries air to the lungs), sinuses (spaces in the skull), air-ways in the lungs, and the larynx. It is also known as self-limiting viral infection as the infection subsides within 7-10 days even without treatment. Common cold usually affects children more than 8 times a year, but fortunately the incidence lessens with age.
Causes and transmission
There are different ways in which you could catch cold.
Cause of common cold cannot be credited to one single virus. It is caused by 200 different varieties of viruses; out of these, the Rhinovirus leads the list in causing cold. There are more than 100 rhinovirus that are capable of making their way through the protective lining of nose and throat, thereby waking the immune system to cause sore throat, cough, headache and blocked-nose. As so many viruses are capable of causing cold, the body is never able to develop resistance against all these viruses.
The virus causing common cold usually spreads by direct contact with the virus either through the air that you breathe in or hand contact with the infected person or things that has the virus. Sneezing and coughing by a person suffering from cold disperses the virus in the air which if inhaled by the person next to him is likely to get cold. As the virus is capable of being alive for several hours on objects like book, pen, table, napkin, telephone etc any person touching these items may acquire cold.
Smoking increases the chance of getting cold, symptoms are worse with prolonged cold. Sudden drop of temperature or getting wet in rain may also cause cold.
Symptoms of Common Cold
As the cold virus infects the upper respiratory tract, the symptoms are also associated with these organs. The symptoms include:
- Tickling in the throat or sore throat
- Running nose
- Blocked & stuffy nose
- Phlegm discharge from nose
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Swelling of sinus
- Head-ache
- Fever
- Body pain
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Difficulty sleeping
Symptoms might begin showing itself 2-3 days after contacting the virus and it may last for 2-14 days.
Treating Common Cold
There is no treatment to cure cold. In several cases, even after taking medications it is noted that the virus runs its course and then subsides on its own. Medications do not cure cold but of course help in relieving from its symptoms. When suffering from cold, you should take complete rest and drink lots of fluids. You may apply vaporizer in night for easy breathing. For blocked and stuffy nose, steam inhalation or nose drops can be taken. Medications for cough, sore-throat, throat spray, cough-drops may be of help to certain extent. If you are having a sore throat, gargling with salt water subside the soreness. A warm bath or warm-pads help to soothe pains. If fever, then take paracetamol.
Children below 12 years should not be given aspirin. Avoid taking antibiotics for common cold unless you have bacterial infection in the ear and sinusitis.
Prevention Common Cold
As huge number of viruses cause cold, it is difficult to prevent it by any vaccine. Certain preventive measures may help to keep it at bay. Make sure that you wash your hands frequently and avoid touching or sharing things, in case if someone is affected with cold. Use disinfectant to clean hands, surfaces, and any used items. Stay away from a person when he coughs or sneezes. If you are suffering from cold take care that you wash your hand after sneezing and coughing and also remember to cover your mouth while sneezing and coughing. If you smoke, then quitting it may prevent you from contracting common cold.
Prevention is better than NO CURE!
Common cold has no effective treatment and prevention is the only way to stay away from it. Preventing common cold does not call for sophisticated techniques; following simple hygienic measures like hand washing, and covering your mouth and nose while sneezing and coughing are good enough. These measures, if followed, not only prevent you from contacting cold, but also prevent further transmission. So be good to others, and follow the preventive measures against common cold!
