Colds

The common cold is the leading cause of visits to the doctor and missed work and school days in the United States. In fact, it is estimated that Americans endure one billion colds each year. According to the Center for Disease Control, approximately 22 million school days are missed annually because of the cold. Prevention is considered the best method when treating colds; however such measures do not always do the trick. If you find yourself suffering from a runny nose, scratchy throat and sneezing, most likely you have a cold.

The common cold is actually a set of symptoms found in the upper respiratory tract. The symptoms can be caused by one of more than 200 viruses. However, the cold is most commonly caused by the rhinovirus. A cold occurs when a virus enters the body via the mouth or nose. Understandably, it is very easy to spread a cold because anything we touch may be contaminated with a cold virus. In return, we place our contaminated hands on our face or in our mouths and suddenly the virus has access to the body.

The cold officially begins when the virus attaches itself to the lining of the throat or nose. The body responds by releasing white blood cells to attack the virus. If the infected individual has never had the virus before, the initial attack fails. In return, the nose and throat become inflamed and produce mass amounts of mucus. Also, a large portion of the individual’s energy is put into fighting the virus. These actions leave the patient feeling sick, tired and in need of medical care.

Symptoms