Overview

Antibiotics cannot curethe common cold, one of themost frequent reasons children miss school and adults miss work. Every year,adults have an average of 2–3 colds, and children have even more.

Causes

More than 200 viruses can cause the common cold, and infectionscan spread from person to person through the air and close personal contact.Antibiotics do not work against these viruses and do not help you feel betterif you have a cold. Rhinovirus is the mostcommon type of virus that causes colds.

Risk Factors

When you have a cold, mucus fills your nose, causing runny nose,congestion, and mucus to drip down your throat (post-nasal drip), which cancause a sore throat and cough.

There are many things that can increase your risk for the commoncold, including:

·        Exposure to someone with thecommon cold

·        Age (infants and youngchildren are at higher risk for colds)

·        A weakened immune system ortaking drugs that weaken the immune system

·        Season (colds are more commonduring the fall and winter)

Signs and Symptoms

When germs that cause colds first infect the nose and sinuses(air-filled pockets in the face), the nose makes clear mucus. This helps washthe germs from the nose and sinuses. After two or three days, mucus may changeto a white, yellow, or green color. This is normal and does not mean you oryour child needs antibiotics. Other signs and symptoms of the common cold caninclude:

·        Sneezing

·        Stuffy nose

·        Sore throat

·        Coughing

·        Post-nasal drip (mucusdripping down your throat)

·        Watery eyes

·        Mild headache

·        Mild body aches

These symptoms usually peak within 2-3 days but can last for up to10-14 days.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Antibiotics are not needed to treat a cold or runny nose, whichalmost always gets better on its own. Your healthcare professional willdetermine what type of illness you or your child has by asking about symptomsand doing a physical examination. Sometimes they will also swab the inside ofyour nose or mouth.

Since the common cold is caused by viruses, antibiotics will nothelp it get better and may even cause harm in both children and adults. Your healthcare professional can giveyou tips to help with symptoms like fever and coughing.

Symptom Relief

Rest, over-the-counter medicines and other self-care methods mayhelp you or your child feel better. Remember, always use over-the-counterproducts as directed. Many over-the-counter products are not recommended forchildren of certain ages.

Prevention

There are steps you can take to help prevent getting a cold,including:

·        Practice good hand hygiene

·        Avoid close contact withpeople who have colds or other upper respiratory infections

Resources:

[1] Centers forDisease Control and Prevention. Common Cold and Runny Nose. https://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/community/for-patients/common-illnesses/colds.html,2016-3-16/2017-8-30.

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