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Common cold

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Upper respiratory infection - viral; Cold

Treatment:

Get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. Over-the-counter cold remedies may help ease your symptoms. These won't actually shorten the length of a cold, but can help you feel better.

NOTE: Some medical experts recommend against using cough medicines in many situations. Talk to your doctor before you or your child take any type of over-the-counter cough medicines, including those specifically labeled for children.

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 doesn't get better within 10 to 14 days. (In this case, it may be sinusitis.)

New antiviral 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
• Worsening 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 . 5th ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone; 2000.

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

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

• Review Date: 8/8/2006
• Reviewed By: D. Scott Smith, MD, MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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