People of all ages suffer from a common cold from time to time. However, women suffer from common colds more frequently than men, due to playing with and caring for children more and catching a cold from them as a result of close contact.
In this article:
What is a common cold?
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Effect on your life
Treatment
How Chemist Online can help
What is a common cold?
Common colds are contagious. When someone with a common cold sneezes or coughs, the cold virus spreads to those in close proximity to them. The specks of cold virus fluid that ‘shoot’ through the air are breathed in by others, and they too then quickly begin to show signs and symptoms of a common cold.
When the upper respiratory tract which is made up of the nose, throat, sinuses, etc., is infected with a common cold viral infection, a range of symptoms occur which combine and basically leave you feeling ‘bunged up’, weak and miserable for a few days.
The good news is that most common colds clear up within a week and cannot be regarded as a serious or life-threatening health condition.
Symptoms
Symptoms of common cold include:
Cough
Sore throat
Blocked up nose (nasal congestion)
Sneezing
Runny nose
Headache
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Hoarse voice
Fever-like symptoms and chills
An overall feeling of being rundown, off colour and in need of a few days rest in order to recover
Causes
The common cold is caused by a virus. In fact, there are as many as 200 different viruses which can cause a common cold to develop.
As we have seen, common colds are contagious – you catch them from other people. This does not necessarily mean through direct bodily contact (kissing, breathing in an infected person’s breath due to being in close proximity to them, etc.).
If someone with a common cold touches a household object such as a telephone or a kitchen cupboard handle, they can pass on the common cold virus this way, too. If, after touching the ‘infected’ phone or cupboard door handle, you then bring your hand to your mouth or nose, you can then very easily ‘catch’ the common cold virus this way.
In fact, catching a common cold is so easy to do; it is not surprising that across the UK millions of people struggle with common cold each year.
Diagnosis
Most people ‘self-diagnose’ their common cold and take over-the-counter-remedies to help cope with and ease symptoms – until their cold eventually disappears. However, if you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms and these have persisted for longer than two weeks; arrange an appointment with your GP.
After taking your medical history and asking you some questions about your symptoms, your GP will check to see if you have a high temperature, any chest pain, breathing difficulties, and/or nodal swellings. This is to rule out other possible (more serious) health conditions, such as pneumonia and/or glandular fever.
After establishing a confirmed diagnosis of common cold, your GP will recommend an appropriate course of treatment.
If your symptoms indicate the possibility of a more serious health condition (as mentioned above), then you may be referred to your local (or nearest) hospital for a chest X-ray.
Effect on your life
For most people a common cold is simply an unwelcome interruption to their daily life. Most common colds are not so debilitating that you would need to remain in bed for the duration (i.e. until symptoms clear up completely).
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You may not have to take time off work, unless your boss is concerned that you may spread your common cold virus to other staff.
Try to avoid close contact with others and also be sure to tell those around you (your housemates and work colleagues) that you have a common cold, so that they can take steps to avoid catching your cold from you until you are better again.
Treatment
Common colds are self-limiting. This means that they clear up on their own without treatment. Over-the-counter remedies can help enormously when it comes to controlling and easing symptoms. Also, drink plenty of fluids.
Where symptoms of sinusitis occur as part of your common cold condition, recommended treatments can include:
Over-the-counter painkillers – to help ease the associated symptoms of common cold and sinusitis (e.g., headache, fever-like symptoms…)
Decongestant nasal sprays or drops – to help clear congested nasal passages
Steam inhalation treatment – usually at home, and with menthol added to the water/steam in an effort to ease symptoms until the condition itself eventually clears up completely
Prescribed antibiotics – a short course of antibiotics is generally extremely effective in clearing up severe common cold symptoms and acute sinusitis
Sinus draining surgery – for people with severe and chronic sinusitis and where all other treatment options have proved unsuccessful
How Chemist Online can help
Through this website we have a range of over-the-counter remedies available to buy which can help ease the symptoms of coughs and colds.
www.chemistonline.co.uk
Advice & Support
National Pandemic Flu Service
Tel. 0800 1 513 3100 or Text phone 0800 151 3200
Website: www.direct.gov.uk/pandemicflu
This information and advice is not intended to replace the advice of your GP or chemist. Chemist Online is also not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based upon the content of the Chemist Online website. Chemist Online is also not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites.
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