Question

Explain more about common cold

Answer 1

The common coldis a viral infection of the upper respiratory system, including the nose, throat, sinuses, eustachian tubes, trachea, larynx, and bronchial tubes. Although more than 200 different viruses can cause a cold, 30-50% are caused by a group known as rhinoviruses. Almost all colds clear up in less than two weeks without complications. It is estimated that the average person has more than 50 colds during a lifetime. Anyone can get a cold, although pre-school and grade school children catch them more frequently than adolescents and adults. Repeated exposure to viruses causing colds creates partial immunity. causes: People with colds are contagious during the first two to four days of the infection. Colds pass from person to person in several ways. When an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks, tiny fluid droplets containing the virus are expelled. If these are breathed in by other people, the virus may establish itself in their noses and airways. Colds may also be passed through direct contact. If a person with a cold touches his runny nose or watery eyes, then shakes hands with another person some of the virus is transferred to the uninfected person. If that person then touches his mouth, nose, or eyes, the virus is transferred to an environment where it can reproduce and cause a cold. Also,cold viruses can be spread through inanimate objects (door knobs, telephones, toys) that become contaminated with the virus Treatment: There are no medicines that will cure the common cold. Given time, the body's immune system will make antibodies to fight the infection, and the cold will be resolved without any intervention.Antibioticsare useless against a cold. There are some self-care steps that people can take to ease their discomfort. These include:

• drinking plenty of fluids, but avoiding acidic juices, which may irritate the throat
• gargling with warm salt water
• not smoking
• getting plenty of rest
• using a cool-mist room humidifier to ease congestion and sore throat
• rubbing Vaseline or other lubricant under the nose to prevent irritation from frequent nose blowing
• for babies too young to blow their noses, the mucus should be suctioned gently with an infant nasal aspirator. It may be necessary to soften the mucus first with a few drops of salt water.