Cold is a common type of viral and infectious disease that affects the respiratory system of human body. This complication is very common all around the world and among people with different ages and conditions. It mainly can be caused by coronaviruses or rhinoviruses. Viruses which are responsible for this disease are so different that the immune system of body is unable to withstand all types of them and as a consequence an adult person may experience different colds, for several times, during a year.

Children and those who are suffering from diseases such as asthma are more vulnerable to this disease than other people. As we know, it is a contagious disease and can affect people only by shaking hands or a single cough; therefore those people who are sensitive to these types of diseases need to be more careful about themselves during this disease months of the year.

Symptoms of cold

Symptoms of this disease are so clear that almost everyone can recognize them and those who are affected, can diagnose it quickly.

Symptoms include:

• Dry throat
• Sore throat
• Hoarseness Sneeze
• Cough
• Mild or severe fever
• Obstructive nasal congestion
• Runny nose
• Mild headache
• Body aches
• Red eyes
• Feeling weak
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue and sleepiness

It is interesting to know that not all the patients show similar symptoms and this can be due to different reactions of individuals’ immune system to this disease. In the case of late or inefficient treatment, infection can be spread to ears and sinuses so that visiting a doctor and taking prescribed medicines may get inevitable.

What are beneficial treatments of the common cold?

It is good to know that once an individual catches a cold, he or she should take the necessary time to recover from it. In many cases, taking antibiotics and antiviral drugs are not particularly effective and the disease itself can take up two or three weeks.

The following solutions can positively affect individuals’ physical condition:

• Drinking a lot of fluids can help patients in reducing the further complications due to this disease and provide adequate water for body cells for better recovery
• Consumption of hot soups containing large amount of organic vegetables
• Consumption of fresh lemon juice with natural honey
• Adequate amount of resting and avoiding heavy activities
• Taking only prescribed medications
• Hot steams such as thyme which can play a very effective role in improving the condition of the respiratory system
• Gargling warm salt water which can be helpful in clearing throat from infections and bacteria

What is the difference between cold and flu?

Symptoms of flue and cold are similar in many aspects, however flue is more intense and can trigger more significant symptoms in body .On the other hand, one needs more time to recover from flue rather than cold. Headache, fatigue or weakness, body pain, abnormal body temperature and coughing in severe cases are symptoms of flue while sore throat and sneezing are common symptoms between flue and cold.

Summary:

Cold is a common viral disease that affects many people every year. Sore throat, nasal congestion and sneezing are some of the most common symptoms of this disease and complications such as bronchitis are one of the side effects of this disease. Home remedies are very effective in treating simple kinds of this disease, but in severe cases antibiotics should be prescribed.