Common Cold

Symptoms

Common symptoms are sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion, coughing and sneezing; sometimes accompanied by 'pink eye', muscle aches, fatigue, malaise, headaches, muscle weakness, uncontrollable shivering, loss of appetite, and rarely extreme exhaustion. Fever is more commonly a symptom of influenza, another viral upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) whose symptoms broadly overlap with the cold but are more severe. Symptoms may be more severe in infants and young children.

Those suffering from colds often report a sensation of chilliness even though the cold is not generally accompanied by fever, and although chills are generally associated with fever, the sensation may not always be caused by actual fever. The symptoms of a cold usually resolve after about one week, but can last up to three weeks.


Prevention

The best way to avoid a cold is to wash hands thoroughly and regularly; and to avoid touching the eyes, nose, mouth, and face. Anti-bacterial soaps have no extraordinary effect on the cold virus; it is the mechanical action of hand washing with the soap that removes the virus particles. Rhinoviruses can live up to 3 hours outside the body on the skin or objects.

In 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended alcohol-based hand gels as an effective method for reducing infectious viruses on the hands of health care workers. As with hand washing with soap and water, alcohol gels provide no residual protection from re-infection.

The common cold is caused by a large variety of viruses, which mutate quite frequently during reproduction, resulting in constantly changing virus strains. Thus, successful immunization is highly improbable.

Alternative treatments

Alternative treatments which similarly lack solid scientific evidence include calendula, ginger, garlic and vitamin C supplements. There are no treatment for Common Cold

10 Tips to Prevent The Common Cold

• Wash your hands often.
• Avoid touching your face, especially the nose, mouth, and eye areas
• Don't smoke.
• Use disposable items if someone in your family is infected.
• Keep household surfaces clean.
• If your child has a cold, wash his or her toys as well when you are cleaning household surfaces and commonly-used items.
• Use paper towels in the kitchen and bathroom for hand washing.
• Throw tissues away after use.
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle.
• Control stress