Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The common cold is an illness affecting your nose and throat. Most often, it's harmless, but it might not feel that way. Germs called viruses cause a common cold. Often, adults may have two or three colds each year. Infants and young children may have colds more often.
Most people with a common cold can be diagnosed by their symptoms. Your care provider may take a nasal or throat swab to rule out other illnesses. A chest X-ray may be ordered to rule out a lung illness.
Cold remedies are almost as common as the common cold. But do they work? Nothing can cure a cold, which is caused by germs called viruses. But some remedies might help ease your symptoms and keep you from feeling so bad. Here's a look at some common cold remedies and what's known about them.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can look a lot like the common cold. They both spread through coughs, sneezes and infected surfaces like doorknobs. In healthy adults, symptoms of both viruses are generally mild and include a runny nose, headache, sore throat or a low-grade fever.
A common cold is a viral infection of your baby's nose and throat. Nasal congestion and a runny nose are the main signs of a cold. Babies are especially likely to get the common cold, in part because they're often around older children.
You can tell the difference between a cold and a seasonal allergy by key symptoms and how regularly symptoms appear. Colds are caused by your immune system's response when you catch a virus. Seasonal allergies are triggered by your immune system's response to allergens, such as pollen.
There's no cure for the common cold. Treatment may include pain relievers and cold remedies available without a prescription, such as decongestants. Unlike COVID-19, a cold is usually harmless. Most people get better from a common cold in 3 to 10 days. But some colds may last as long as two weeks.
Mild to moderate physical activity is usually OK if you have a common cold and no fever. Exercise may even help you feel better by opening your nasal passages and temporarily relieving nasal congestion.
ANSWER: While your mom may have warned you that going outside with wet hair will make you sick, the question remains: Does wet hair cause the common cold? The short answer is no. Colds are caused by viruses, so you can't catch a cold from going outside with wet hair. And wet hair won't make you more attractive to germs.
Cold remedies are almost as common as the common cold, but are they effective? Nothing can cure a cold, but there are some remedies that might help ease your symptoms and keep you from feeling so miserable.