Common Cold – What is it, Causes, Symptoms and Treatments!
Common Cold – What it is, Causes, Symptoms and Treatments of this condition. Also, the Common Cold is a viral infection of the nose and throat (upper respiratory tract). It is usually harmless, although it may not feel that way. Many types of viruses can cause a Common Cold . Children under the age of six are most at risk for colds , but healthy adults can also expect two or three colds annually.
Most people recover from a common cold within a week or 10 days. Symptoms can last longer in people who smoke. If symptoms do not improve, see your doctor.
Causes of the Common Cold: The common cold is infectious and can be passed from one person to another. The average adult gets about 2 to 4 colds a year, most often during the winter. Babies can have as many as 8 to 10 colds in a year because the body’s defenses are not yet developed. Children under 6 years of age average 6 to 8 bouts of cold each year.
Sneezing or coughing can easily transmit cold viruses in droplets from the mouth or nose of an infected person. Hand-to-hand contact is another way the virus is passed. Since cold viruses can live for several hours on hard surfaces, you can even get infected by picking up an object, turning a door handle, or answering a phone recently played by a person with a cold. It then takes care of being rubbed into the eyes, nose or mouth .
Common Cold Symptoms: A symptom is something that the patient feels or reports, while a sign is something that other people, including a doctor, can detect. Pain could be an example of a symptom, while a rash could be a sign.
The body that reacts to the Common Cold virus is primarily what causes the symptoms you experience. A release of chemicals is triggered, making the blood vessels leak, causing the mucous membranes to work harder. The most common symptoms of the common cold are:
Rarer symptoms of a common cold include:
- Muscle aches
- Shivering
- pink eye
- Weakness
- appetite reduction
- Extreme exception.
Common Cold Diagnoses: Diagnosing a Common Cold rarely requires a trip to your doctor’s office. Recognizing the symptoms of a cold is often all it takes to diagnose yourself. Of course, if your symptoms get worse or persist after about a week, you may need to see your doctor. You may be showing symptoms of a different problem, such as the flu or strep.
If you have a Common Cold , you can expect the virus to work in about a week to 10 days. If you have the flu, this virus can take the same amount of time to go away completely, but if you notice your symptoms getting worse after day five, or if they haven’t gone away in a week, you may have developed another condition.
Treatments For The Common Cold: While it is possible for you to improve the symptoms of the common cold using a variety of medical therapies, they do not cure, they shorten rather than prevent the illness. It is advisable to try to stay comfortable to get as much life as possible, drink plenty of fluids, and treat symptoms. Some of the common ways to treat cold symptoms are:
- Gargle with warm salt water to soothe a sore throat .
- Inhaling steam with or without essential oils and herbal scents can temporarily relieve nasal congestion.
- OTC remedies containing decongestants help to relive congestion and stop secretions. They can also be used to stop coughing if I get triggered by mucus in the throat .
- Antihistamines are used to prevent symptoms of watery eyes and a runny nose.
According to some studies, zinc lozenges can shorten the duration of common cold symptoms. - Antibiotics should not be used to treat the Common Cold and its symptoms.