What is a cold?
Colds are one of the most common diseases, especially in the cold months.It is extremely contagious, but fortunately it is not a serious disease. It is caused by a viral infection that mainly affects the upper airways (nose, throat, trachea). Prevention is possible, just follow simple rules of daily hygiene.
In rare cases, it can degenerate into pneumonia and bronchitis when neglected or not well cared for, affecting the deeper airways (lungs, bronchi).
A cold is an inflammation of the mucous membranes that have been "infected" by viruses and the typical symptoms are:
- a runny nose
- frequent sneezing
- feeling of general malaise
- sore throat .
Furthermore, especially in children, it can also involve the paranasal sinuses and ears, with the onset of sinusitis and otitis.
Sometimes the cold can be mistaken for flu , as the symptoms of the flu are very similar to those of the cold.
Instead, these are two distinct pathologies:
- the flu is caused by viruses other than colds, and is typically accompanied by symptoms such as fever , headache , muscle pain and respiratory symptoms (stuffy nose, cough - with or without phlegm - or sore throat).
- colds are characterized by common symptoms such as: runny nose and nasal congestion, frequent sneezing, feeling of general malaise and sore throat, never from high fever and muscle pain.
The causes of colds
The main causes of colds are viruses , especially rhinoviruses. The abundance of viral strains responsible for cooling disorders is one of the reasons why we will never be immune from colds and there is no vaccine against this disease.2% of the population carries the cold virus without having the typical symptoms of the disease. During epidemics, up to 80% of children are generally infected, in fact, this part of the population seems to be the most subject to viral rhinovirus infections.
Colds are such a common disease because they are easily transmitted : the ways of infection are almost infinite. Rhinoviruses can be transported from one subject to anotherfrom "polluted" hands or from the air we breathe , viruses can reach our body and penetrate, especially through the nose, starting the infection and, consequently, the inflammatory process of the respiratory mucous membranes.
This, despite the presence of defense mechanisms that are found along the respiratory tract, such as mucus , which covers the inner part of the nose and whose task is to trap undesirable particles (including germs) that could enter the airways, and like the vibratable eyelash system , which helps eliminate harmful particles that have been trapped in the mucus.
Cold viruses spread very easily both by air and by simple contact . In the first case the virus is dispersed in the air through the droplets which are emitted by sneezing or coughing ; these droplets in turn can be inhaled by other "healthy" individuals who thus become infected; they can also settle on objects and surfaces and survive there for a few hours, until it happens to touch such contaminated surfaces that also infect us.
In doing so we do nothing but act as a "bridge" for the passage of viruses that, in this way, can reach our airways and start the infection. To prevent this phenomenon it is appropriate to domuch attention to the environment that surrounds us , in winter and in particular in January and February , thus limiting the spread of the virus.
The mucous-ciliary system of the nose performs the fundamental function of purifying the inhaled air during breathing from foreign particles: they are trapped in the mucus while the movement of the eyelashes determines the progression of the contaminated mucus towards the gold-pharynx where it is sputumed ( through cough) or swallowed.
When a virus settles on the mucous membrane of the nostrils and comes into contact with the muco-ciliary system that transports it deeper, an inflammatory process is established due to the viral infection of the mucous membranes of the airwaysof the respiratory system.
The virus binds to specific receptors that help it enter the cell to be infected and begins to reproduce there at the expense of the cell.
Eventually, the cell dies and releases other newly formed viral particles, which infect other cells by amplifying the infection.
Even very few viral particles are enough to give rise to the inflammatory process that generates the common cold.
Cold symptoms
Cold symptoms are not caused directly by the virus , but by our body's defense mechanism which, with the help of the immune system, tries to eradicate it. It is for this reason that so many different germs can cause the same symptoms .The diagnosis of colds is quite simple. Early symptoms include:
- Itching and discharge at the nose
- Frequent sneezing
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Hoarseness
- Difficulty breathing
- Sensation of dullness
- General malaise
However, in some cases these symptoms are also common to several allergic forms . If allergies are suspected, contact your doctor.
FREQUENT Sneezing And Nose Closed
Sneezing is frequent. They can be confused with allergic sneezes. A stuffy and / or runny nose is also common. It is the most obvious symptom. They can last for a fairly long period, about 3-4 days . In some cases, up to 120 paper tissues are consumed !SORE THROAT
Sore throat is a common symptom. The throat is red and annoying.COUGH AND PAIN IN THE BREAST
Cough and pain in the chest during breathing can occur in a light form. Coughing is painful.In some cases, especially if a common cold is neglected or badly treated , bacteria may take advantage of the weakening of our immune system caused by the attack of viruses, to colonize the throat or ears, paranasal sinuses or airways lower. In these cases (rare in adults, but more frequent in children and the elderly), very serious diseases also occur: sore throat, otitis, sinusitis, bronchitis and pneumonia.
Since complications are very common in children up to one year of age, care should be taken to prevent infants from coming into contact with other children or adults with a cold . A common cold is usually a mild disease, the symptoms of which disappear in one to two weeks and are never sudden: usually they arise gradually, within 2-3 days of contagion . The symptoms are mainly due to our body's immune response to infection.
When a nasal cell is infected with a cold virus, our body responds by activating some parts of the immune system and some nervous reflexes .
They are freed natural substances , called inflammatory mediators (including kinins, interleukins and prostaglandins), which help protect the body from infection and other adverse events.
Once activated by the infection, inflammatory mediators cause dilation of the blood vessels (with spillage of fluids outside the vessels) and increased secretion of mucus. All this translates into a congestion of the nasal mucosa with abundant production of mucus, which then begins to come out of the nose, the only way out.
Furthermore, inflammatory mediators activate the reflexes of sneezing and coughing and can also stimulate the nerve fibers responsible for the transmission of pain (with the appearance, for example, of sore throat).
To know
The mechanism by which cold viruses infect us also explains why we get sick more in the cold season.The cold , in fact, is not at all the triggering agent of the disease , nor does it make the virus in question more aggressive, but prevents our body from adequately defending itself because it slows down the movement of the hair cells and, consequently, of the mucus, thus facilitating the penetration of cold viruses: when the air is too cold, the eyelashes cannot move as they should and the ideal conditions are created for the onset of viral infection.
CROWDED PLACES
During the cold season, much more time is spent indoors, perhaps crowded, where the virus can transmit more easily . Colds are one of the most contagious diseases known so far, and being in crowded places certainly facilitates infection from person to person: this is why children who attend kindergarten and school are more prone to colds : the virus easily settles on the skin of the hands and it is enough for the child to rub his eyes or bring them to his mouth to trigger the infection.
STRESS
Just as it is not the cold that causes the cold, neither is the stress.
However, stress and lack of rest , even more than low temperatures and humidity, makes our body more vulnerable to cold viruses. There is a variety of situations and circumstances in which our immune system is at fault, thus increasing the risk of contracting a cold, but above all of incurring its complications.
Infants , for example, in the first 4 to 6 weeks of life are at high risk for colds or other infections because their immune system is functionally immature .
It is true that, when born, babies are still partially protected from the antibodies they received from the mother through the placenta , but there are many germs from which they are not protected .
The elderly, especially if there are children in the family, and people weakened by serious diseases , which alter the immune system itself, or patients in chemotherapy or immunosuppressive therapy are at high risk of contracting a cold and developing complications.
First of all, it is good to remember that colds are caused by viruses . This means that, as for the flu and for all viral diseases in general, antibiotics are not used to treat it , except in the case of bacterial complications.
Therefore, before taking an antibiotic it is good to consult a doctor who will be able to evaluate whether such therapy is appropriate.
It is possible, indeed often advisable, especially in the early stages of infection, to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (the so-called Fans), such as acetylsalicylic acid, which is a useful treatment to reduce the inflammatory state of the nasal mucous membranes and all the symptoms of associated with it.
There are specific formulations that also associate vitamin C with the anti-inflammatory active ingredient , useful for stimulating the immune system to perform its action.
There are also natural products and remedies that can alleviate the collateral symptoms of colds. For example, honey is an effective remedy to soothe sore throat and bring well-being to the upper respiratory tract.
Another useful tip is to drink lots of water, fruit juice , or even hot tea . This is because a well-hydrated organism is better able to fight the cold virus.
You should never forget to wash your hands often to avoid contagion to other people.
And as regards nutrition , in order to have the hoped-for benefits in terms of prevention and reduction of the duration of symptoms, science for years has confirmed the importance of fruit (especially the one rich in vitamin C) and vegetables . Following a balanced diet can strengthen the immune system. Eventually you can also resort to multivitamin supplements.
