The common cold: STAY HEALTHY THIS SEASON WITH THESE TIPS FOR TREATMENT AND PREVENTION

摘要

Each year, my office is flooded with calls asking about treatments for symptoms associated with a cold: achy body, runny nose, scratchy throat, hacking cough, stuffy head and the general rundown feeling that sends us to bed. The common cold is an acute viral infection that inflames some or all of the airways-nose, throat, sinuses, larynx, trachea and bronchi. Many viruses can cause common cold symptoms, but usually rhinovirus or influenza is the culprit. Secondary bacterial infections, such as bronchitis, often occur too. After a one- to three-day incubation period, a cold usually starts with throat or nose discomfort followed by sneezing, runny nose or malaise. Most colds last four to ten days; however, it is not uncommon to develop respiratory irritation that hangs on long after the infection is gone.