Colds

A cold is an acute viral infection of the respiratory tract, self-limiting and usually without fever, with inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, including rhinorrhea, cough, and sore throat. Diagnosis of a cold is clinical. Prevention of a cold consists of careful hand washing. Treatment of a cold is symptomatic.

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Causes of colds

In most cases (30-50%), the cause of a cold is one of more than 100 serotypes of the rhinovirus group. Colds are also caused by viruses from the coronavirus, influenza, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial groups, especially in patients who are experiencing reinfection.

Cold pathogens are associated with the seasons, most often spring and autumn, less often winter. Rhinoviruses are most often spread by direct contact with an infected person, but can also be transmitted by airborne droplets.

For the development of infection, the most important thing is the presence of neutralizing specific antibodies in the serum and secretions, reflecting previous contact with this pathogen and providing relative immunity. Susceptibility to colds is not affected by the duration of cold exposure, the state of health and nutrition of a person, or pathology of the upper respiratory tract (for example, enlarged tonsils and adenoids).

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Symptoms of a cold

The common cold begins suddenly after a short incubation period (24-72 hours) with an unpleasant sensation in the nose and throat, followed by sneezing, runny nose and malaise. The temperature usually remains normal, especially when the cause is rhino- and coronavirus. In the first days, nasal discharge is watery and profuse, then becomes thicker and purulent; the mucopurulent nature of this discharge is due to the presence of leukocytes (mainly granulocytes) and not necessarily a secondary bacterial infection. Coughing with scanty sputum often continues for 2 weeks. If there are no complications, cold symptoms subside after 4-10 days. In chronic respiratory diseases (asthma and bronchitis), exacerbations usually occur after a cold. Purulent sputum and cold symptoms from the lower respiratory tract are not very typical for rhinovirus infection. Suppurative sinusitis and otitis media are usually bacterial complications, but sometimes they are associated with a primary viral infection of the mucous membranes.

How is a cold recognized?

The diagnosis of colds is usually clinical, without diagnostic tests. Colds are differentiated from the most important disease, allergic rhinitis.

Treatment of colds

There is no specific treatment for the common cold. Antipyretics and analgesics are commonly used to reduce fever and relieve sore throat. Decongestants are used for nasal congestion. Topical nasal decongestants are most effective, but their use for more than 3-5 days may increase nasal discharge. First-generation antihistamines (eg, chlorpheniramide) or ipratropium bromide (0.03% solution intranasally 2-3 times daily) can be used to treat rhinitis (rhinorrhea); however, these drugs should be avoided in the elderly, people with benign prostatic hyperplasia, and people with glaucoma. First-generation antihistamines cause drowsiness, but second-generation drugs (without sedation) are not effective for treating the common cold.

Treatment for colds may include the use of zinc, echinacea, and vitamin C everywhere, but their effects have not been proven.

There is no vaccine against the common cold. Colds are not prevented by drugs such as: polyvalent bacterial vaccines, citrus fruits, vitamins, ultraviolet light, glycol aerosols and other folk remedies. Hand washing and the use of surface disinfectants reduce the prevalence of infection.

Antibiotics are prescribed only when a secondary bacterial infection occurs, with the exception of patients with chronic lung diseases.