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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.
But symptoms of a common cold usually appear 1 to 3 days after exposure to a cold-causing virus. There's no cure for the common cold. Treatment may include pain relievers and cold remedies available without a prescription, such as decongestants.
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.
Common colds: Protect yourself and others. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/features/rhinoviruses/. Accessed Jan. 15, 2021. AskMayoExpert. Upper respiratory tract infection. Mayo Clinic; 2019. Common cold.
Viruses are the most common causes of colds, in particular viruses called rhinoviruses. There are more than 100 strains of rhinoviruses, and they are very good at growing in the nose and throat. The idea behind using zinc to stop cold symptoms is based on lab experiments.
If you have asthma, even a mild cold can lead to wheezing and tightness in your chest. Colds and the flu are among the most common causes of asthma flare-ups, especially in young children. Regular asthma medications may fail to relieve asthma symptoms associated with a cold or the flu.
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.
I'm just getting over a cold, and my ears feel plugged. What causes this? Is there any remedy for plugged ears? Answer From Laura J. Orvidas, M.D.