Cause:
The Viruses:
One reason why there is no cure for the common cold is that more than 200 different viruses can cause cold symptoms.
Some, such as rhinoviruses, seldom produce serious illnesses.
Others, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), produce mild infections in adults but can lead to severe lower respiratory tract infections in young children.
Rhinoviruses (from the Greek rhin, meaning “nose”) cause an estimated 30 to 50 percent of all colds. Scientists have identified more than 100 distinct rhinovirus types. Rhinoviruses grow best at temperatures of about 9IT, (the temperature inside the human nose). Scientists think coronaviruses cause about 10 to 15 percent of all adult colds. They bring on colds primarily in the winter and early spring. Although many coronaviruses infect animals, only five infect humans, causing respiratory tract illness.
Adult cold symptoms also are caused by viruses that are responsible for other, more severe illnesses. These viruses are: adenoviruses, coxsackieviruses, echoviruses. orthomyxoviruses (including influenza A and B viruses, which cause flu), paramyxoviruses (including several parainfluenza viruses), RSV, and enteroviruses. Researchers still haven’t identified the causes of 20 to 30 percent of adult colds, presumed to be viral.
The cold season:
Seasonal changes in relative humidity also may affect the occurrence of colds. The most common cold-causing viruses survive better when humidity is low Cold weather also may make the inside lining of your nose drier and more vulnerable to viral infection.
Other factors:
Although a connection exists between the number of cases of the common cold and the fall and winter seasons, there is no experimental evidence that exposure to cold temperatures increases the chances of getting a cold. On the other hand, several research studies show that people who exercise regularly have a significantly reduced number of respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold, compared with those who don’t exercise. Research also suggests that allergic diseases that affect the nose or throat and psychological stress may increase your chances of getting infected by cold viruses.
Common Cold:
Symptoms:
Symptoms of the common cold usually begin 2 to 3 days after infection and often include:
1. Sore throat
2. Mucus buildup in the nose
3. Difficulty breathing through nose
4. Swelling of sinuses
5. Sneezing
6. Cough
7. Headache
8. Tiredness
Although fever is uncommon in adults, it is often found in children with colds and can climb to 102°F in infants and young children. Cold symptoms can last front 2 to 14 days. High fever, significantly swollen glands, severe sinus pain, and a cough that produces mucus may be signs of complication or more serious illness.
Treatment:
There is no cure for the common cold, but you can get relief from your cold symptoms by
1. Resting in bed
2. Drinking plenty of fluids
3. Gargling with warm salt water or using throat sprays, or lozenges for a scratchy or sort’ throat
4. Using a decongestant or saline nasal spray to help relieve nasal symptoms
5. Using petroleum jelly to soothe a raw nose
6. Taking aspirin or acetaminophen—Tylenol, for example—for headache or fever Colds occasionally can lead to bacterial infections of your middle ear or sinuses, requiring treatment with antibiotics. However, antibiotics should not be used to treat a cold.
Prevention:
There are several ways you can keep yourself away from getting a cold of infecting others:
1. Because cold viruses can easily enter into your eyes and nose through hands, wash hands often and keep the hands away from those areas of your body.
2. 11 possible, avoid being close to people who have colds or If you have a cold, avoid being close to people.
3. When you sneeze or cough, cover your nose of mouth arid sneeze or cough into your elbow rather than your hand.
Hand washing:
Hand washing with soap and water is the simplest and one of the most effective ways to keep from getting colds or giving them to others.
Disinfecting:
Rhinoviruses can live up to 3 hours on your skin or on objects. Cleaning these environmental surfaces in your home or place of work with a virus-killing disinfectant might help prevent the spread of infection.
Vaccine:
Because so many different viruses can cause the common cold, the outlook for developing a vaccine that will prevent spreading of all of them is quite a challenge.
Alternative Medicines:
Echinacea:
Echinacea is a dietary herbal supplement that some people use to treat their colds.
Vitamin C:
Many people are convinced that taking large quantities of vitamin C will prevent colds or relieve symptoms.
Honey:
Some people use honey to treat coughs and to soothe a sore throat.
Zinc:
Zinc lozenges and lollipops are available over the counter as a remedy for the common cold. In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers to stop using intranasal (in the nose) zinc products because some people reported a loss of smell after using these products.