Which viruses cause colds

The cause of Reye syndrome is Cough suppressants are not routinely recommended because coughing is a good way to clear secretions and debris from the airways during a viral infection.

However, a severe cough that interferes with sleep or causes great discomfort can be treated with a cough suppressant. Merck and Co. From developing new therapies that treat and prevent disease to helping people in need, we are committed to improving health and well-being around the world. The Manual was first published in as a service to the community.

Learn more about our commitment to Global Medical Knowledge. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. Common Health Topics. Respiratory Viruses. Test your knowledge. Human immunodeficiency virus HIV infection is a viral infection that progressively destroys certain white blood cells.

Untreated, it usually leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome AIDS. Transmission of HIV requires contact with bodily fluid that contains the virus or cells infected with the virus. Which of the following is not a bodily fluid that commonly transmits HIV? More Content. Common Cold By Brenda L.

Click here for the Professional Version. Many different viruses cause colds. Good hygiene, including frequent hand washing, is the best way to prevent colds. Becoming chilled. Having an abnormality of the nose or throat such as enlarged tonsils or adenoids. Did You Know Becoming chilled does not cause colds or make people more likely to get a cold. Antibiotics are useless in treating colds. Symptoms of the flu are similar to the common cold, but they last longer and tend to be worse.

Symptom Relief Over-the-counter medications can provide temporary relief of symptoms and should be used as soon as you feel a cold coming on. Other Remedies Herbs, minerals and other products such as echinacea, eucalyptus, garlic, honey, lemon, menthol, zinc and vitamin C have received a lot of publicity as cold remedies. However, none of these claims are solidly supported by scientific studies.

Adequate liquid intake is recommended. This will help keep the lining of the nose and throat from drying out, so that mucus remains moist and easy to clear from the nose. Avoid coffee, tea or soft drinks that contain caffeine. Also, avoid any drinks that contain alcohol. Caffeine and alcohol lead to dehydration, the opposite of what your body needs to recover.

If you smoke, try to stop or cut back, at least until you are feeling better. Stay away from other smokers; inhaling their smoke will further irritate the throat and make you cough even more. If you must work or go to school, it won't delay recovery.

Help reduce the spread of infection. Use tissues and wash your hands frequently to reduce the spread of cold germs to others. Colds are extremely difficult to prevent entirely.

The following suggestions may help: Avoid close contact with people who have a cold, especially during the first few days when they are most likely to spread the infection.

Wash hands after touching someone who has a cold, after touching an object they have touched, and after blowing your nose.

If a child has a cold, wash his or her toys after play. Keep fingers away from your nose and eyes to avoid infecting yourself with cold virus particles you may have been picked up.

Put up a second hand towel in the bathroom for healthy people to use. But what actually works? While there is no cure for the common cold, there are some proven ways to treat your symptoms. Everyone is at risk for the common cold. People are most likely to have colds during fall and winter, starting in late August or early September until March or April.

The increased incidence of colds during the cold season may be attributed to the fact that more people are indoors and close to each other. In addition, in cold, dry weather, the nasal passages become drier and more vulnerable to infection.

Children suffer more colds each year than adults, due to their immature immune systems and to the close physical contact with other children at school or day care. In fact, the average child will have between 6 to 10 colds a year. The average adult will get 2 to 4 colds a year. Colds usually start 2 to 3 days after the virus enters the body and symptoms last from several days to several weeks.

Cold symptoms may look like other medical conditions. Always consult your healthcare provider for a diagnosis if your symptoms are severe.

A cold and the flu influenza are two different illnesses. A cold is relatively harmless and usually clears up by itself, although sometimes it may lead to a secondary infection, such as an ear infection.

However, the flu can lead to complications, such as pneumonia and even death. What may seem like a cold, could be the flu. You can also pick up the virus by touching a contaminated surface that an infected individual has touched.

Rhinoviruses which cause the most colds can live for up to three hours on hard surfaces and hands. Some other common cold culprits have been singled out, such as the respiratory syncytial virus. Still others have yet to be identified by modern science. In the United States, colds are more common in the fall and winter. This is mostly due to factors such as the start of the school year and the tendency for people to remain indoors.

Inside, air tends to be drier. Dry air dries up the nasal passages, which can lead to infection. Humidity levels also tend to be lower in colder weather. Cold viruses are better able to survive in low humidity conditions. This group of viruses — of which there are more than types — is by far the most common identified cause of colds.

The viruses grow best at the temperature inside the human nose. Human rhinoviruses HRVs are highly contagious. However, they rarely lead to serious health consequences. Recent research has found that HRVs manipulate genes and it is this manipulation that brings about an overblown immune response.

The response causes some of the most troublesome cold symptoms. This information could lead scientists to important breakthroughs in the treatment of the common cold. There are many varieties of coronavirus that affect animals, and up to six can affect humans. This type of virus typically causes mild to moderate upper SARS severe acute respiratory syndrome. These three groups of viruses typically lead to mild infections in adults, but may cause severe lower respiratory tract infections in children, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems.

Premature babies, children with asthma, and those with lung or heart conditions are at greater risk for developing complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia.