Cold or Common Cold Symptoms & How To Prevent

Colds are the simple terms of the common cold, is an infectious disease of the respiratory system, easy to spread and primarily affects the nose. Symptoms include cough, sore throat, runny nose (rhinorrhea), and fever. Symptoms usually subside after seven to ten days. However, some symptoms may last up to three weeks. More than two hundred viruses can cause colds. Rhinovirus is the most common cause of the disease.

Colds are caused by a virus from the group of coronaviruses and rhinoviruses. This condition can be transmitted through direct contact or indirectly. Examples of transmission is through direct contact when someone accidentally inhaling droplets of sneezes issued with colds in the air. While examples of indirect contagion is when someone accidentally hold objects that have been contaminated with the virus from people with colds, and the person holding the nose or mouth.

Colds usually last for a week. But in infants, colds tend to last longer, which is about ten to fourteen days. But if a cold with a cough, the condition can last up to three weeks.

In the first two to three days, the symptoms of colds usually will be very heavy. The initial symptoms are usually emerges is pain in the throat and was followed by other symptoms such as irritation and pain in the nose, sneezing, runny nose which then clogged. Other cold symptoms are malaise, cough and hoarse voice.

In addition, although rare, some people with colds can also feel symptoms such as muscle pain, ear pain, headache, watery eyes, fever, and loss of sense of smell and taste.

Cold Signs & Symptoms

Cold symptoms most often arise include cough, runny nose, stuffy nose, and sore throat. Other symptoms can include muscle pain (myalgia), mild body aches, headache, and loss of appetite. Sore throat occur in 40% of patients with colds. Cough develops in about 50% of them. Muscle pain occurs in approximately half of the cases of the common cold. Symptoms include fever does not usually appear in adults, but it appears in infants and young children. Cough caused by colds are usually milder than the cough caused by flu (influenza). Cough and fever in adults is most likely an indication of the flu (influenza). Some types of viruses that cause colds or may not display symptoms. Color mucus are expelled when coughing from the lower respiratory tract (sputum) vary, ranging from yellow to green. Color mucus can not indicate whether the cause of the infection is bacterial or viruses.

Colds usually begins with mild body aches, feeling cold, sneezing, and headaches. Other symptoms such as a runny nose and cough occurs after two or more days. In general, the symptoms peaked on the second day to the third day after infection. Symptoms usually subside after seven to ten days, but these symptoms can last up to three weeks. Cough persists for more than ten days at 35% to 40% of cases involving children. Cough persists for more than 25 days in 10% of cases involving children.

Things that cause colds

Viruses: Colds are upper respiratory tract infections are contagious. Rhinoviruses that cause colds at most. The virus was found in 30% to 80% of all cases. Rhinovirus is the virus that has RNA and is part of the family Picornaviridae. There are 99 types of viruses that have been identified as the virus family. Other viruses can cause colds. Coronavirus causes 10% to 15% of cases. Flu (influenza) causes 5% to 15% of cases. Other cases may be caused by human parainfluenza virus, respiratory sinsisial virus, adenovirus, enterovirus, and metapneumovirus. Often, more than one type of virus attack and cause infections colds. Overall, more than two hundred viruses can cause colds.

Weather: The traditional theory believe that colds are transmitted through continuous exposure as in rain or winter conditions, therefore it cold called by cold (cold in English). The risk factors caused by the use of cooling the body (body cooling) is still a matter of controversy. Some viruses that cause colds are seasonal, occur more often when the weather is cold or when it rains. It is mainly believed to occur because people spend more time indoors and close to one another, especially children who come home from school. However, it may also be associated with changes in the respiratory system which led to easy infection. Humidity can increase the risk of transmission because of the dry air easier for small droplet spreads easily and further, and stay in the air longer.

Infection of cold: Cold viruses are usually transmitted by the way of the two main modes of transmission. Inhaling or swallowing airborne droplets containing the virus. Snot infected or exposed or contaminated object. There is no certainty about how what is the method of transmission is most common. The virus can survive longer in the environment. Then the virus can be transmitted from hands to eyes or nose where infection occurs. People sitting nearby may be most at risk for infection with the virus. Transmission often occurs in daycare and school for children near and among them there are children with low immunity and poor hygiene. Such infections are then brought home and spread to other members in the family. There is no evidence that the air is recirculated while in the commercial aircraft can transmit the virus. Colds are caused by rhinovirus very easily infect during the first three days of the onset of symptoms, then becomes less infectious afterwards.

Prevention of colds

There are several steps we can do to avoid colds, among them is to keep a distance from the patient until he is cured, regular hand washing to clean, cleaned surfaces and objects that can be attached by the virus, and do not share personal items and eating utensils or drinking with other people. If you are suffering from a cold, sneeze with a tissue covered so that the virus does not spread to the surrounding environment. After that wash your hands with water and dry with a tissue.

The only effective way to prevent colds is to prevent transmission of the virus physically. The preventive measures include washing hands and wearing a face mask. In the neighborhood health care centers, robes and disposable gloves are also worn. Isolating people affected by colds is not possible because the disease can be spread everywhere and was not specific symptoms. Vaccination has proved difficult to prevent the transmission because there are too many viruses that can cause colds and viruses are changing very fast. Vaccine development colds very powerful deterrent also seemed impossible.

Regular hand washing reduces the transmission of the common cold virus and it is the most effective method of prevention in children. Not yet known whether or not to use antiviral or antibacterial substances during regular hand washing can improve hand washing avail. Wear a face mask when adjacent to an infected person may be useful. There is no evidence sufficient to ensure that the precautionary measure to avoid people with colds or colds are physically or socially can be useful. Zinc supplements may be effective to reduce the frequency of colds person. Consumption of vitamin C supplements on a regular basis may not reduce the risk of severity of the common cold. Vitamin C may reduce the duration of colds.