Several classes of viruses, including influenza, RSV, corona and rhinoviruses, cause the common cold. It is more prevalent in the winter months, when close contact between people allows for person-to-person transmission. The usual mode of transmission of the common cold viruses is in aerosolized droplets produced by coughing and sneezing.
General Symptoms
The most common general symptom of the common cold is fever. Most patients exhibit low-grade fever, between 100 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Fever is usually well controlled with medicines like ibuprofen and acetaminophen. Another common symptom is malaise, or feeling rundown and tired. Patients can have nonspecific, nagging headaches. Dehydration is common, as patients forget to drink enough fluids. As dehydration worsens, urine output decreases, the heart rate can increase and lips become dry and chapped.
Upper Respiratory Symptoms
The respiratory tract is the system most commonly affected by the viral cold. The nose becomes stuffy and runs with clear mucous that sometimes turns yellow-green. The eyes become itchy and watery, and patients can develop conjunctivitis, or inflammation of the whites of the eyes. Ear pain is a common finding. It results from build-up of fluid behind the tympanic membrane, increasing the pressure against it and producing pain. This fluid can eventually become infected with bacteria, which results in an ear infection. Patients also have sore or scratchy throat, which may predispose the patient to developing strep throat, an infection that needs treatment with antibiotics.
Lower respiratory symptoms
Occasionally the common cold leads to infection in the lower respiratory tract, including the lungs. This can lead to a deep, dry cough that is more common at night. People with a common cold can also develop pneumonia. The symptoms of pneumonia include rapid, shallow breathing; wet, productive cough with yellowish sputum; retractions of abdominal and chest muscles in an effort to improve air exchange; chest pain, especially when trying to take a deep breath. Another common respiratory infection caused by the viral cold is bronchitis, which is a milder inflammation of the lungs that presents with a persistent, nagging cough.
