Common Colds Symptoms, Common Cold Treatment

The COMMON COLD is caused by a family of viruses called Rhinoviruses. These microscopic miscreants spread from infected persons through the air and land on your throat when you breathe in.

"Trickle or Treat!"

From the throat, these viral critters trick your throat cells to make more of them which whaft as you sneeze into the air to infect your friends, family and co-workers.

When your body catches on, inflammation occurs as it tries to rid itself of the virus. It's at this point that you get fever and other cold symptoms.

Common Cold and Flu Symptoms:

• Fever

• Runny nose - clear and watery

• Sore throat

• Sneeze

• Dry cough

It's important to remember though that allergies can feel a lot like the common cold with sneezing, coughing, and a runny nose. BUT you will NOT have fever in an allergy attack.

COMMON COLDS are a nuisance, but not life threatening. And being viruses, we don't have any 'antibiotics' against them. (Antibiotics only work on another group of germs called bacteria). Luckily, the common cold lasts only for 5 to 10 days. So for those ten days we try to make life as pleasant as possible by treating the symptoms of the common cold rather than the cause.

Common Cold / Flu Treatment

• Fever - acetaminophen based syrups or tablets are used to lower body fever.

• Runny nose/ Sneeze/ Dry cough - antihistamines and/or pseudoephedrine syrups and tablets can dramatically slow a pouring nose, sneeze and cough.

• Sore throat - the acetaminophen used in fever control also eases the pain of sore throats. Gargled aspirin and liquid anesthetics can also calm a sore throat. The anesthetics work quick and last for about 30 minutes - long enough for you to eat or drink comfortably - but for long term relief gargled aspirin is better but takes much longer to work.

These medications can be bought without a prescription to ease your misery, but consult with your pharmacist before purchase.

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