Common Cold

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Throat anatomy

Cold symptoms

Antibodies

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Common Cold

Alternative Names:

Upper respiratory infection - viral; Cold

Treatment:

Try over-the-counter cold remedies to relieve your symptoms. These won't actually shorten the length of a cold, but can help you feel better. Meanwhile, get rest. Drink plenty of fluids. And don't force a child with a cold to eat.

Antibiotics should NOT be used to treat a common cold. They will NOT help and may make the situation worse! Thick yellow or green nasal discharge is not a reason for antibiotics, unless it lasts for 10 to 14 days without improving. (In this case, it may be sinusitis.)

New anti-viral drugs could make runny noses completely clear up a day sooner than usual (and begin to ease the symptoms within a day). It’s unclear whether the benefits of these drugs outweigh the risks.

Chicken soup has been used for treating common colds at least since the 12th century. It may really help. The heat, fluid, and salt may help you fight the infection.

Expectations (prognosis):

The symptoms usually go away in 7 to 10 days.

Complications:

bronchitis
pneumonia
ear infection
sinusitis
aggravation of asthma

Calling your health care provider:

Try home care measures first. Call your health care provider if:

The symptoms worsen or do not improve after 7 to 10 days
Breathing difficulty develops
Specific symptoms deserve a call (for example, see the article on fever)

References:

Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles of Infectious Diseases. 5^th Ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone; 2000.

Long, SS, Pickering, LK, and Prober, CG, eds. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 2^nd Ed. New York, NY: Elsevier; 2003.

Noble J, ed. Textbook of Primary Care Medicine. 3^rd Ed. St. Louis, MO: Mosby; 2001.

Review Date: 6/14/2004
Reviewed By: Alan Greene, M.D., F.A.A.P., Department of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine; Lucile Packard Children's Hospital; Chief Medical Officer, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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