Understanding Common Cold Symptoms

The common cold is caused by any of a number of viruses that can involve the upper respiratory tract. As your body reacts against the attacking virus, you get the symptoms of a cold -- including nasal congestion, sneezing, and sniffles.
How can I tell if I have a cold or the flu?

Although the common cold and the flu share many similar symptoms, they are two different conditions.

The symptoms of a cold develop slowly and can include:

•    Fever up to 102 degrees
•    Runny or stuffy nose (often with green or yellow-colored discharge)
•    Sore throat
•    Cough
•    Sneezing
•    Fatigue and muscle aches
•    Headache
•    Watery eyes

Cold symptoms are generally more mild than flu symptoms.

Flu symptoms usually appear very suddenly and can include:
•    Fever over 102 degrees
•    Stuffy nose
•    Nausea
•    Chills and sweats
•    Fatigue and muscle aches, especially in your back, arms and legs
•    Cough
•    Headache
•    Loss of appetite

Symptoms

Symptoms of the common cold usually begin 2 to 3 days after infection and often include
•    Mucus buildup in your nose
•    Difficulty breathing through your nose
•    Swelling of your sinuses
•    Sneezing
•    Sore throat
•    Cough
•    Headache

Fever is usually slight but can climb to 102 degrees Fahrenheit in infants and young children. Cold symptoms can last from 2 to 14 days, but like most people, you’ll probably recover in a week. If symptoms recur often or last much longer than 2 weeks, you might have an allergy rather than a cold.

Colds occasionally can lead to bacterial infections of your middle ear or sinuses, requiring treatment with antibiotics. High fever, significantly swollen glands, severe sinus pain, and a cough that produces mucus may indicate a complication or more serious illness requiring a visit to your healthcare provider.

Treatment

There is no cure for the common cold, but you can get relief from your cold symptoms by
•    Resting in bed
•    Drinking plenty of fluids
•    Gargling with warm salt water or using throat sprays or lozenges for a scratchy or sore throat
•    Using petroleum jelly for a raw nose
•    Taking aspirin or acetaminophen—Tylenol, for example—for headache or fever

A word of caution: Several studies have linked aspirin use to the development of Reye’s syndrome in children recovering from flu or chickenpox. Reye’s syndrome is a rare but serious illness that usually occurs in children between the ages of 3 and 12 years. It can affect all organs of the body but most often the brain and liver. While most children who survive an episode of Reye’s syndrome do not suffer any lasting consequences, the illness can lead to permanent brain damage or death. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children and teenagers not be given aspirin or medicine containing aspirin when they have any viral illness such as the common cold.

Prevention

Because so many viruses cause them, there isn't a vaccine that can protect against catching colds. But to help prevent them, kids should:

•    try to steer clear of anyone who smokes or who has a cold. Virus particles can travel up to 12 feet through the air when someone with a cold coughs or sneezes, and secondhand smoke can make your child more likely to get sick.
•    wash their hands thoroughly and frequently, especially after blowing their noses
•    cover their noses and mouths when coughing or sneezing (have them sneeze or cough into a shirtsleeve, though, not their hands — this helps prevent the spread of germs)
•    not use the same towels or eating utensils as someone who has a cold. They also shouldn't drink from the same glass, can, or bottle as anyone else — you never know who might be about to come down with a cold and is already spreading the virus.
•    not pick up other people's used tissues

Researchers aren't sure whether taking extra zinc or vitamin C can limit how long cold symptoms last or how severe they become, but large doses taken every day can cause negative side effects.

Article Tags: Common Cold, Cold Symptoms, Sore Throat•   , Reye’s Syndrome

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