Colds

A cold causes sneezing, nasal congestion, headaches, sore throats and other symptoms. There are over 200 different viruses that can cause these symptoms. Nearly everyone has had a cold - it is such a common ailment that doctors usually refer to it as the "common cold."

A cold usually goes away in about a week. However, the symptoms, which can include sneezing, nasal congestion, headaches, slight fever, sore throat and others, do make a person feel uncomfortable. Fortune Cold & Flu Series can help relieve these symptoms. But if the cold symptoms last for more than 2 weeks, one should visit a doctor to determine whether another illness, for example, a sinus infection, is present.

Know more about Colds

• There are over 200 cold viruses. After you catch one of the viruses, your body builds up immunity to it. So you are less likely to catch that cold again. That's why adults generally have fewer colds than children do. It's simply because adults are immune to more of the cold viruses.
• Cold and flu viruses enter the nose, mouth and eyes through droplets in the air and through contact with the things we touch. Cold symptoms may appear up to 48 hours after infected, whereas flu attacks stronger and faster. Although colds and flu share many of the same symptoms, colds are less serious, do not last as long, and do not include a high fever.
• Blood vessels in the nose dilate in response to the virus. This speeds up the arrival of germ-fighting cells and causes the mucous membrane to swell. The body also releases extra histamine, a chemical that causes blood vessels to dilate even more. This leads to symptoms such as nasal congestion and running nose.
• Virus attacks result in irritation of the upper respiratory tract, swelling and increased mucus production. The mucus flushes the viruses down the throat. Both the virus and the germ-fighting cells in the mucus irritate the throat, causing the soreness and coughing you may experience with a cold.
• The swelling in the nose can block air passages and sinus openings, which causes stuffy nose and could lead to bacterial infections of the sinuses.
• The same process can also happen in the ear. Swelling around the opening in the eustachian tube (which connects the middle ear, the throat and the nasal cavity) may trap bacteria and fluid in the middle ear. This can lead to infection and earaches. Children and infants are especially prone to having this problem.
• The body's virus-fighting efforts put a strain on your whole body. That's the reason why a cold is usually accompanied by aches, pains, fatigue and fever.

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