Sunday, June 24, 2012

Common Cold Symptoms

Runny nose and nasal congestion are typical signs of a common cold. There are, however, other signs that allow one to come to a conclusion that they are suffering from a cold. Those signs are: coughing, sore throat, headaches and constant sneezing as well. The common cold is a viral infection that affects the respiratory tract. There are more than two hundred viruses that can cause this disease. You should know that a cold is not a detrimental condition. The medical indicators affiliated with the common cold are examined in this editorial and it gives you the opportunity to decide if your condition is in fact the common cold or something worse.

Signs and Causes of Common Cold

Once you are infected with the cold virus, the signs will take around two to three days to show, sometimes is may take as long as one week. The first sign of this viral infectious disease is an irritated nose or throat. Other symptoms that will manifest are:

    Runny or stuffy nose
    Sneezing
    Coughing
    Watery eyes


In little children, a fever may be present to indicate that they are having a cold. However, older children and grown-ups normally have a low-grade fever or none at all. Nasal discharge when one is having a cold is congeal and normally yellow or green. This kind of occurrence is normal in this disease, but it may be a warning that there are complications with the cold. Other symptoms of common cold exist, however, they are dependent on which virus is causing the cold. Some of these signs of a cold are:

    Unproductive coughs, where no mucus is present when the individual coughs
    Sore throat
    Loss of appetite as people with common cold become picky eaters
    Aches and pain within the body, therefore the person could have headaches and other muscular and joint pains
    Fatigue and post nasal drip

In the United States only, it is estimated that over one billion cold infections are experienced annually, thus making this disease a prevalent health issue. Children are usually the most vulnerable, when it comes to contracting the cold. Although colds are not seasonal and they happen throughout the year, more cases are recorded during the winter.

Viruses That Cause the Common Cold

There are several viruses that cause this disease. Some of them are:

    rhinovirus
    coronavirus
    coxsackievirus

Colds can be treated and must be hygienically cared for as they can be contracted by coughing, sneezing or mere inhalation of the virus.

If your child suffers from nasal congestion, you might use a nasal aspirator to bring them relief.