What is the common cold?

Infectious rhinitis may be caused by several hundred different viruses (rhinoviruses and coronaviruses).  The main symptom is a runny nose.  This is known as the common cold or coryza.  These viruses may also affect the airways, sinuses, throat, voice box, and bronchial tubes. A cold usually begins abruptly with great discomfort in the throat followed by such symptoms as clear, watery  nasal discharge, sneezing, a tired sensation (malaise), and sometimes fever.  Postnasal drip causes the sore throat and cough that accompany colds.  Colds are usually self-limiting and last from three to seven days but occasionally require antibiotics when bacterial infection is superimposed. Infection may be promoted by fatigue, stress, or the virus itself that can weaken the body’s immune system.  Even eustress or good stress can affect the immune system, making you more susceptible to colds.

Oftentimes a cold is mistaken for allergic rhinitis (hay fever) or a sinus infection.  If the disease begins quickly and is over within one to two weeks, then it is usually a cold, not allergy.  If your cold symptoms last longer than two weeks, check with your doctor to see if you have developed an allergy.

The common cold is an upper respiratory tract infection that is caused by a virus. Typically, an individual with a cold experiences general malaise, fever, headache, and upper respiratory tract congestion. The initial symptoms are usually a watery nasal discharge and sneezing, followed by thicker secretions containing mucus, white blood cells, and dead organisms. The throat may be red, sore, and quite dry. The common cold typically lasts anywhere from four to 10 days.

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The common cold, or acute viral nasopharyngitis, is a viral infection of the upper respiratory system, which may involve the nose, throat, sinuses, eustachian tubes (connects the ears to the throat), trachea (windpipe), larynx (voice box), and bronchial tubes (airways).

Colds are one of the leading causes of doctor visits and missed days from school and work. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 22 million school days are lost annually in the United States as a result of the common cold. Over the course of a year, people in the United States suffer one billion colds, according to some estimates.

One of the main reasons that colds are so common among children is because they are often in close contact with each other in daycare centers and schools. In families with children in school, the number of colds per child can be as high as twelve a year. Also, the thymus gland, which produces immune system cells, is immature in children. Subsequently they have decreased resistance to bacterial and viral infections such as colds.

Adults average about two to four colds annually, although the range varies widely. Women, especially those aged 20-30 years, experience more colds than men, possibly due to closer contact with children. Based on studies, on average, people older than 60 have less than one cold a year.

In the United States, most colds occur during the fall and winter. Beginning in late August or early September, the rate of colds increases slowly over a few weeks and remains high until March or April, when it declines. The seasonal variation may relate to the opening of schools and to cold weather, which prompt people to spend more time indoors and increase the chances that viruses will spread from person to person.

Seasonal changes in relative humidity also may affect the prevalence of colds. The most common cold-causing viruses survive better when humidity is low during the colder months of the year. Cold weather also may make the inside lining of the nose drier and more vulnerable to viral infection.

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