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A virus -- actually, about 200 different viruses -- causes the common cold. Rhinoviruses are the most common pathogen, causing approximately 30 to 50 percent of colds, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Most transmissions of cold-causing viruses occur through hand-to-hand contact with someone who has a cold or from objects, such as a doorknob, computer mouse or telephone, that have been contaminated with cold viruses. The viruses infect your upper airways when you touch your nose or eyes. Cold viruses can also be transmitted from an infected individual through droplets in the air.
WHAT A COLD VIRUS DOES
Viruses infect your cells and use their reproductive machinery to make more viruses. At some point, the infected cells burst and die, releasing new viruses to infect other cells. Destruction of cells lining your nose, throat and upper airways causes characteristic cold symptoms, such as a sore throat, dry cough and runny nose. Fatigue results from the body's immune response to the virus, not the cold itself.
SYMPTOMS
Early in the course of a cold, most patients complain of a scratchy throat that usually develops into a stuffy nose and sneezing. Fever with a cold is more common in children than it is among adults. A runny nose and stuffiness are the prominent early symptoms; a dry cough is often the last symptom to clear. Most colds resolve in seven to 10 days. However, for some susceptible people, including those with underlying medical problems such as asthma or diabetes, colds can sometimes linger or develop into a more serious illness.
TREATMENT
Because they are caused by viruses, colds do not respond to antibiotics. However, there are steps you can take to feel better. Rest, drink plenty of non-caffeinated and nonalcoholic beverages, eat healthy foods and sip hot liquids, such as soup or herbal tea. You may also want to consider using a humidifier in your bedroom to keep your mucous membranes moist. A nasal saline spray may help relieve stuffiness and petroleum jelly soothes a sore nose. You can take acetaminophen or ibuprofen if you have a fever. Do not give aspirin to children with a cold.
Call your health care provider if your fever gets over 101 degrees Fahrenheit; you develop a productive cough with yellow or green secretions; you develop sinus pain with thick, colored nasal secretions; or you develop shortness of breath or wheezing. If your cold persists longer than two weeks, you may want to see your health care provider to ensure that you do not have a bacterial infection. If you have asthma and experience worsening symptoms, contact your health care provider to review your asthma action plan. Remember to wash your hands often and have family members do the same so you don't spread the virus to them.
