Common cold

Common cold is something which everybody will experience in their life time; some are more prone to common cold than the others. By definition cold is an infection of the respiratory system, usually upper tract. The upper respiratory system consists of the nasal cavity, the air sinuses present in the skull and the infection of the oropharynx and nasopharynx. The infection if severe can also spread to lower respiratory symptoms which include larynx, the bronchial tree including trachea and the lungs, during which the condition will be referred as pneumonia. Children and old people tend to suffer more often from common cold because of weak immune system, where as adults would have already built resistance towards many microbes causing cold.
Cold is commonly caused by viruses, which explains the insidious onset and self cure of the cold. However after the first wave of virus attack on the respiratory system the bacteria might colonize resulting in infection with prolonged symptoms which require treatment. There are over more than 200 strains of virus which can cause cold in humans, however the most common cause are Rhinoviruses and Corona viruses. Transmission of cold is through multiple ways, cold spreads as airborne disease, the virus is transmitted through droplets when in infected person sneezes or coughs, and when this droplet is inhaled by others the virus infects them. Cold can also be spread through direct and indirect ways, directly can be transmitted by touching the secretions of nose, eyes and touching the normal person will result in the transmission of the virus. Indirect ways includes by handkerchiefs, door handles, and telephones.
Symptoms of common cold are experienced by every individual, this includes running nose also called as rhinnorrhoea which might be clear serous fluid, in case of viral infection to yellow greenish mucus in case of bacterial infection. Blocked nose due to mucosal inflammation which results in increased secretion from goblet cells present in the mucosa leading to oedema of the mucus membrane and nasal turbinate’s resulting in blocked nose. Due to blocked nose the flow from sinus is obstructed resulting in the collection of fluid and infecting the mucosa of the sinus. This is manifested as headache due to frontal sinus inflammation, tooth ache due to maxillary sinus inflammation, and occipital pain due to occipital sinusitis. Sore throat is due to back flow of secretion, resulting in difficulty in swallowing. Other symptom like earache is due to obstruction of the duct connecting middle ear to nasal cavity and sneezing due to stimulation of the nasal mucosa. Associated symptoms include, fever when bacterial infection might occur, malaise, tiredness and decreased appetite. The symptoms are insidious on onset and might resolve on its own.
Treating common cold has been a challenge to medical field as no one has ever come up with absolute cure. There are plenty of homemade remedies to treat the symptoms of the cold. These include but not limited to drinking warm water, lime juice along with honey, staying indoors in a warm temperature and having plenty of rest, steam inhalation which helps to clear the nasal blockage.