What is Cold flu and treatment

Cold

A cold is an infection that affects the upper respiratory tract. It is triggered by different types of viruses. It usually occurs in autumn and winter. A cold can be recognized by symptoms such as a cold, cough or fever. In most cases, a cold lasts no longer than a week, complications are rare. Read here everything important for the cold.

Cold: Description

A cold (flu-like infection) is an infection of the upper airways with viruses. Most of the mucous membranes of the nose, throat, and bronchi are affected. In some cases, it also causes bacterial infection. Physicians then speak of a secondary or superinfection. A cold is accompanied by symptoms such as coughing, runny nose, shivering, and headache. In most cases, a cold is harmless. The symptoms usually last about a week.

Most colds occur during the autumn and winter months. In exceptional cases, a common cold develops into a chronic cold. This is what medics are talking about when the common cold occurs again and again within a very short time and those affected can hardly recover properly. Such a cold usually occurs in people with a weakened immune system (for example, in HIV) or, if you are infected while you are still ill, again.

Everyone can get cold. That is why it is considered the most common infectious disease in Europe: schoolchildren have seven to ten infections per year, adults about two to five.

Basically, a cold is contagious. The viruses are transmitted to other people in the smallest saliva droplets when coughing, talking or sneezing. People with chronic conditions, such as HIV, may have a cold with more severe symptoms than otherwise healthy people.

In everyday use, a flu infection is often confused with the flu. The difference between cold and flu is that a cold is usually more superficial and with lighter symptoms. On the other hand, influenza can become so severe that it can even be fatal to immunocompromised individuals, infants or the elderly. In addition, influenza usually causes a high fever, body aches and it often takes several weeks until those affected have completely recovered.

Cold in the summer?

Around twenty percent of colds occur in the summer. This surprises many people but is easy to explain: In summer, our immune system is overwhelmed by various factors quickly. Risk factors for a cold in the summer are strong temperature fluctuations, physical exertion, and long stays in the sun. Even a long swim in the water and keeping wet bathing clothes strain the body.

Therefore, make sure not to spend too much time in the water during the summer. Take a break when you feel cold and dry off well. Change damp or sweaty clothes immediately. The air conditioning in the car and draft in the house are risk factors.

If possible, always wear a light jacket in the summer. Especially in the evening, it comes quickly to a temperature change. Also, make sure you drink enough: two to three liters per day are essential. This not only ensures that the body does not dry out, the liquid also keeps the mucous membranes moist and ensures that they maintain their natural protection against pathogens.

Allergy or cold?

The symptoms of an allergy and a cold are often very similar, so in everyday life, the question often arises "cold or allergy?”. But you can tell by some small differences what it is. In case of an allergy, fever or headache rarely occurs, but in the case of a cold already. Cough, hoarseness, and dizziness are also signs that speak for a cold. In an allergy, in contrast, the eyes are often irritated and it comes increasingly to sneezing. A pronounced malady is usually absent in allergy.

Cold: symptoms

Everything important to the typical signs of the cold can be read in the article

Cold - symptoms.
Cold: causes and risk factors

A flu infection can be triggered by around 200 different types of viruses. The viruses are transmitted to other people in small saliva droplets that arise during the speech, coughing or sneezing (droplet infection). After the viruses have invaded the body, the first attack the mucous membranes of the nose and throat. An incipient cold is usually recognized by a cold or by the fact that the nose is "closed". From there, the viruses migrate down the respiratory tract over the throat and invade the mucous membranes of the bronchi. In extreme cases, this can lead to bronchitis. In addition, the pathogens can also enter the paranasal sinus and cause sinusitis (sinusitis). As a trigger of a cold, inter alia, the following viruses come into question:

• Rhinoviruses (40 percent)
• RSV (10-15 percent)
• Coronaviruses (10-25 percent)

In small children, human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is the most common cause of cold after rhinoviruses. Virus strains that cause a cold to mutate easily. After a single infection, you are not immune to a specific virus. You can catch colds again and again.

Between the infection and the onset of the cold are usually about two to five days (incubation period). During this time, no symptoms of the disease occur even though the viruses are already in the body. Even without the discomfort, you can infect other people during this time. Cold viruses survive for several hours on the skin of humans. The viruses can also be transferred to objects or other people (smear infection). Especially in children, the infection (cold or flu) happens quickly through shared toys. So be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after each nose brushing or sneezing.

Again and again, the connection between cold and cold is discussed. In the past, it was assumed that exposure to cold for too long could cause a cold. More likely, however, is that too long a cold exposure weakens the immune system - or even the dry heating air, which strains the mucous membranes. In a weakened immune system, viruses can easily enter the body.