Facts Regarding The Common Cold

It is caused by a virus and not a bacteria

The common cold is caused by a viral infection called a rhinovirus and the symptoms of this infection include fever, a runny nose, coughing, sneezing, a clear nasal discharge, nasal congestion and a sore throat. The areas of the body where the virus is involved includes the throat, nose, eyes and the sinuses. These symptoms are caused as a result of the body's immune response, in the mentioned areas, to the presence of the rhinovirus.

Exposure to cold weather with clothes and/or hair does not increase the chances of contracting the common cold

Being exposed to cold weather won’t directly cause you to get the common cold. Although the virus is predominantly found during autumn and wintertime, the reason behind contracting the virus is from exposure to others who are infected by it via exposure to respiratory droplets which contain the rhinovirus. This risk increases due to the fact that people stay indoors during colder weather and are therefore more into contact with each other.

Don't “starve a cold and feed a fever” 

Viral infections tend to cause one to lose their appetite and therefore a person doesn’t eat much when they are infected with these organisms. Eating shouldn’t be forced and the patient determines how much they’re willing to consume. What is important though is to make sure that one remains well hydrated. The reason for this is because the body loses fluid from sweating due to fevers.

"Sweating out” a cold by covering yourself with clothes and blankets doesn't work

Sweating out a cold won’t have any direct impact on this condition, unfortunately. There are no studies that show any direct correlation with the amount of sweating achieved and duration of the illness. It could be said that by keeping warm one feels better and therefore this reduces the time it takes for the body to get rid of the virus causing the cold.

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There are ways to decrease the course of the illness

The faster one acts to get the correct symptomatic treatment, the faster the illness will resolve. Home remedies such as chicken soup and warm water, with or without tea, and honey help to improve one’s symptoms. The patient will start to feel better which helps the body fight off the infection faster. Staying at home and resting in bed also gives the body’s immune system a better chance of fighting off the infection since the body isn’t being utilized to perform other activities. Increased physical exertion will negatively impact the immune system and the patient will take longer to recover and possibly encounter complications such as a viral pneumonia.

Antibiotics are not used to treat viral infections like the common cold

Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by bacteria and are ineffective against viruses. Antiviral medication can be used if the viral infection is complicated. Antibiotics will be prescribed if a secondary bacterial infection occurs with the common cold. Your primary care doctor should be able to differentiate between symptoms of both scenarios and should therefore be able to manage you accordingly.

Management Of The Common Cold

Prevention

The best ways to prevent transmission of the rhinovirus, as well as other microorganisms, is by washing hands with soap and warm water and by using face masks. In severe cases, isolation or quarantine of the patient may need to be exercised. Vaccinating high risk people such as young children, the elderly and those with suppressed immune systems is also suggested.

Conservative management

As mentioned, patients with the common cold should get plenty of bed rest as this allows the body to recover faster as well as prevent complications from arising. They should also make sure that they drink plenty of water and clear fluids to prevent dehydration due to excessive sweating secondary to fevers.

Gargling with a warm salt water solution or drinking warm water with honey and lemon also helps to reduce inflammation and pain in the throat. Throat lozenges containing various ingredients such as zinc, vitamin C, Echinacea, anti-inflammatory medication or local anaethetics may also be used for pain relief. 

Consuming chicken soup helps to improve the immune system as it contains a compound known as carnosine which is a natural anti-inflammatory and immune booster.

What has been suggested in clinical studies is that Echinacea and zinc can help to improve one’s immune system which in turn helps to fight off the viral infection faster. It could be said that using zinc and Echinacea when one is infected can then help to reduce the duration of the illness. Vitamin C hasn’t shown to offer any improvement on the duration of the illness unless the patient is a very fit and physically active individual.

Symptomatic management

Relief of symptoms caused by the rhinovirus helps to improve the well-being of the patient and also aids in faster recovery.

Fevers are controlled with antipyretic and anti-inflammatory medications such as paracetamol and ibuprofen. Although there is a lack of clinical evidence regarding the use of cough mixtures, there are natural remedies which are available that help to give some relief to the throat which then reduces the incidence of the dry cough. Cough suppressing medications are not recommended, as they can affect the respiratory system, and are contraindicated for their use in children under the age of 6 years.

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Antihistamines may be beneficial in adults, over the first couple of days, to help reduce the nasal discharge. They shouldn't be used longer than that as they can cause drowsiness in the patient. Ipratropium bromide sprays can also help reduce a nasal discharge. Pseudoephedrine medication can also be used to help alleviate any nasal congestion but should also not be used longer than 5 days. The use of menthol and eucalyptus vapor rubs also helps to alleviate congestion, nocturnal coughing and sleeping difficulty.   

Antibiotic medication should only be prescribed for bacterial infections. In the case of the common cold, antibiotics are restricted to be used only if the patient contracts a secondary bacterial infection. In high risk patients, the chance of getting a secondary bacterial sinusitis is 8% and a secondary bacterial ear infection (otitis media) is as high as 30%.