Common Cold Symptoms

What are the common cold symptoms found in adults and children? Common cold symptoms in adults include runny nose, sneezing, scratchy or sore throat, cough, nasal obstruction, mild symptoms such as chilliness, headache, feverishness and a not well feeling. Some additional common cold symptoms in adults include watering eyes, mild hacking cough, mild fatigue, chills, stuffy nose with watery discharge that changes to green or yellow. Common cold symptoms in children include nasal congestion. Children also have clear, green or yellow discharge.

Another common among common cold symptoms in infants is fever. Infants or children have fever greater than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Other common cold symptoms in toddlers include cough, irritability, decreased appetite and difficulty sleeping. One way one can get infected with the cold viruses is by touching environmental surfaces such as stair rails and telephones that may have cold germs on them and touching your nose or eyes with them. Once the virus enters the body it takes a couple of days for the cold to start. As mentioned earlier, scratchy throat, runny nose and sneezing are the first signs that you have a cold coming. The common cold symptoms duration is several days to several weeks. In those with a history of smoking, the duration of the illness is extended.

Common Cold Remedies

There is no particular treatment for the viruses that are responsible for the common cold. Most remedies give you relief from the symptoms. Common cold treatment and prevention can be done with a number of home remedies as well. Decongestants are helpful for congestion and a runny nose. Antihistamines, nasal inhalers, and nasal sprays also give temporary relief. Some common cold remedies for adults include drinking plenty of water daily and resting as much as possible. Common cold remedies for infants include clearing their noses with the help of a bulb syringe and using salt-water nose drops. Common cold remedies for pregnant women such as over the counter cold medications work well; however, it is better they consult the pharmacist before taking such medications. If you are pregnant, it is important that you follow all the common cold treatment guidelines that have been suggested by your doctor.

One of the most effective common cold remedies is the lemon. Add the juice of one lemon to a glass of warm water, add a teaspoon of honey to it, and drink this twice a day for relief from cold.
Another excellent remedy for coughs and cold is ginger. Boil ten grams of chopped ginger in a glass of water, strain the mixture and add ½ teaspoon sugar to it. Drink this when hot.
Natural common cold remedies for babies include giving your baby lots of fluids to drink.
Garlic soup is also an excellent remedy for cold.
Natural common cold remedies for toddlers such as keeping him in an upright or semi-upright position will help nasal drainage.
Vitamin C helps give relief from cold symptoms. Increase your intake of vitamin C if cold symptoms have already appeared.
Prevention as they say is better than cure. Cleaning contaminated surfaces with a mixed phenol/alcohol disinfectant halves any chances of transmission via direct contact.
Washing your hands regularly with plain soap and water also helps reduce your chances of infection.

Common Cold Incubation Period

The common cold virus gets deposited into your nasal passages by fingers that are contaminated by sneezes, coughs or droplets. Very small doses of the virus are enough to cause infection. The nose then transports the virus to the rear of the nose into the adenoid area. There a receptor on the nasal cells’ surface to which the virus attaches itself. There is also a docking port on the viruses’ surface where the receptor fits. The virus then moves into the cell and starts an infection. It takes about 8 to 12 hours for the entire cycle to be completed and for a new virus to be discharged into the nasal secretions. This interval is known as the common cold virus incubation period. You need to keep in mind that the common cold incubation period range may vary, and this is because there are a large number of different viruses that may cause the symptoms. The common cold incubation period symptoms generally differ from one child to the next but research shows that remedial measures and treatment during this phase can help to reduce the severity of the symptoms. Common cold incubation period causes and incubation period may also vary depending on the immune system of the person. The common cold is contagious for about four days. It becomes very important to strengthen the body’s immune system as this helps ward off the common cold. It is also widely believed that the common cold is caused on being exposed to a chill. This makes it very difficult for us to know what the common cold incubation period is. In fact, the virus could be in our mucous membranes for sometime before it breaks out and causes a cold. Some of the common cold symptoms seen are dryness in the throat, running nose, long headaches, flowing mucus, and in some cases. even a fever. As a result of these symptoms a person goes through a lot of discomfort.

Common Cold Causes

What are the common cold causes and symptoms? The common cold is a contagious disease caused due to various types of diseases. The common cold is known to be caused by about 200 different types of viruses. Among the viruses, the most common is the rhino virus. Other common viruses include the adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, coronavirus, and the parainfluenza virus. As so many different viruses are able to cause a cold, your body is unable to build up a response against all of these viruses. This is why the common cold is a recurring and frequent problem that is difficult to avoid. We know what the common cold causes are, but prevention becomes difficult as the virus gains entry into the body by hand-to-hand contact and also via droplets in the air. It is also transmitted when people share things such as toys, towels, telephones, and utensils. The common cold causes a number of symptoms such as cough, running nose and headaches. As mentioned earlier, when it comes to a common cold, prevention is better than cure. If, however, you do have a cold, home remedies that alleviate the symptoms work well. A common cold is not a serious condition, but children and babies should be taken to a doctor as well.

Submitted on January 16, 2014