Common Cold

What is a common cold? 

A common viral infection of the nose and throat.

In contrast to the flu, a common cold can be caused by many different types of viruses. The condition is generally harmless and symptoms usually resolve within two weeks.

What mostly confuses many is telling the difference between common cold and flu, flu will be discussed in details later.

Epidemiology

The average incidence of the common cold is five to seven episodes per year in preschool children, and two to three per year by adulthood. Annual absences from school and work in the United States due to colds caused 26 and 23 million lost days, respectively.

Symptoms

• Runny or stuffy nose.
• Sore throat.
• Cough.
• Congestion.
• Slight body aches or a mild headache.
• Sneezing.
• Low-grade fever.
• Generally feeling unwell.

Usually self-diagnosable

Symptoms include a runny nose, sneezing and congestion. High fever or severe symptoms are reasons to see a doctor, especially in children.

Diagnosis of common cold

Most people with a common cold can be diagnosed by their signs and symptoms. If your doctor suspects that you have a bacterial infection or other condition, he or she may order a chest X-ray or other tests to rule out other causes of your symptoms.

Interesting fact!!

A complete blood count (CBC) in a person who is sick with an acute infection often shows elevated neutrophils and low lymphocytes, so I would recommend evaluation during a time when you are well, if possible.

Prevention of common cold

You can help reduce your risk of getting a cold: wash your hands often, avoid close contact with sick people, and don't touch your face with unwashed hands. Common colds are the main reason that children miss school and adults miss work. Each year in the United States, there are millions of cases of the common cold.

Management of common cold

Its mostly symptomatic, well I simple words you manage the symptoms.

To make yourself as comfortable as possible when you have a cold, try some of these suggestions:

• Drink plenty of fluids. Water, juice, clear broth or warm lemon water are good choices. ...
• Sip warm liquids. ...
• Rest. ...
• Adjust your room's temperature and humidity. ...
• Soothe a sore throat. ...
• Try saline nasal drops or sprays.

What is FLU?

A common viral infection that can be deadly, especially in high-risk groups.

The flu attacks the lungs, nose and throat. Young children, older adults, pregnant women and people with chronic disease or weak immune systems are at high risk.

Flu symptoms

Influenza (flu) can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Flu is different from a cold. Flu usually comes on suddenly. People who have flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:

• fever or feeling feverish/chills
• cough
• sore throat
• runny or stuffy nose
• muscle or body aches
• headaches
• fatigue (tiredness)
• some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

NB!

It’s important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.

Diagnosing flu 

This are some methods you can use to diagnose flu.

• The Lab-in-a-Tube (Liat) influenza A/B assay, which can detect and differentiate influenza A and B strains in healthcare settings within 20 minutes. The assay was originally developed by Massachusetts-based IQuum; Roche acquired the company in 2014.
• The FilmArray diagnostic system, developed by BioFire Diagnostics, LLC, based in Utah, which uses PCR to detect viruses, bacteria, yeast and parasites in roughly an hour. Specifically, the FilmArray respiratory panel, which is designed for use in hospital laboratories and point-of-care settings, can differentiate flu strains.
• The Xpert Flu A/B diagnostic, developed by Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Cepheid, which can rapidly detect and differentiate flu type A from flu type B and identify the 2009 H1N1 flu strain.
• The QuickVue Influenza Test, developed by San Diego-based Quidel, which detects and differentiates flu type A and flu type B based on nasal or nasopharyngeal swabs or nasal specimens.

Management of flu

Flu is also treated symptomatically. Usually, you'll need nothing more than rest and plenty of fluids to treat the flu. But if you have a severe infection or are at higher risk of complications, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral drug to treat the flu. These drugs can include oseltamivir (Tamiflu), zanamivir (Relenza), peramivir (Rapivab) or baloxavir (Xofluza). These drugs may shorten your illness by a day or so and help prevent serious complications.

Oseltamivir is an oral medication. Zanamivir is inhaled through a device similar to an asthma inhaler and shouldn't be used by anyone with certain chronic respiratory problems, such as asthma and lung disease.

Antiviral medication side effects may include nausea and vomiting. These side effects may be lessened if the drug is taken with food.

Most circulating strains of influenza have become resistant to amantadine and rimantadine (Flumadine), which are older antiviral drugs that are no longer recommended.

Measure to take at home

If you do come down with the flu, these measures may help ease your symptoms:

• Drink plenty of liquids. Choose water, juice and warm soups to prevent dehydration.
• Rest. Get more sleep to help your immune system fight infection. You may need to change your activity level, depending on your symptoms.
• Consider pain relievers. Use an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), to combat the achiness associated with influenza. Children and teens recovering from flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin because of the risk of Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal condition.

How to prevent the spread of flu

To help control the spread of influenza in your community, stay home and keep sick children home until the fever has been gone for 24 hours. Avoid being around other people until you're feeling better, unless you're getting medical care. If you do need to leave your home and get medical care, wear a face mask. Wash your hands often.

Prognosis of flu

Most people who get flu will recover in a few days to less than two weeks, but some people will develop complications (such as pneumonia) as a result of flu, some of which can be life-threatening and result in death.

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