Alternative Names   

Upper respiratory infection - viral; Cold

Definition   

The common cold generally involves a runny nose, nasal congestion, and sneezing. You may also have a sore throat, cough, headache, or other symptoms. Over 200 viruses can cause a cold.

Causes   

We call it the "common cold" for good reason. There are over one billion colds in the United States each year. You and your children will probably have more colds than any other type of illness. Children average three to eight colds per year. They continue getting them throughout childhood. Parents often get them from the kids. Colds are the most common reason that children miss school and parents miss work.

Children usually get colds from other children. When a new strain is introduced into a school or day care, it quickly travels through the class.

Colds can occur year-round, but they occur mostly in the winter (even in areas with mild winters). In areas where there is no winter, colds are most common during the rainy season.

When someone has a cold, their runny nose is teeming with cold viruses. Sneezing, nose-blowing, and nose-wiping spread the virus. You can catch a cold by inhaling the virus if you are sitting close to someone who sneezes, or by touching your nose, eyes, or mouth after you have touched something contaminated by the virus.

People are most contagious for the first 2 to 3 days of a cold, and usually not contagious at all by day 7 to 10.

Symptoms   

The three most frequent symptoms of a cold are:

• Runny nose
• Nasal congestion
• Sneezing

Adults and older children with colds generally have minimal or no fever. Young children, however, often run a fever around 100-102°F.

Once you have "caught" a cold, the symptoms usually begin in 2 or 3 days, though it may take a week. Typically, an irritated nose or scratchy throat is the first sign, followed within hours by sneezing and a watery nasal discharge.

Within one to three days, the nasal secretions usually become thicker and perhaps yellow or green. This is a normal part of the common cold and not a reason for antibiotics.

Depending on which virus is the culprit, the virus might also produce:

• Sore throat
• Cough
• Muscle aches
• Headache
• Postnasal drip
• Decreased appetite

Still, if it is indeed a cold, the main symptoms will be in the nose.

For children with asthma, colds are the most common trigger of asthma symptoms.

Colds are a common precursor of ear infections. However, children's eardrums are usually congested during a cold, and it's possible to have fluid buildup without a true bacterial infection.

The entire cold is usually over all by itself in about 7 days, with perhaps a few lingering symptoms (such as cough) for another week. If it lasts longer, see your doctor to rule out another problem such as a sinus infection or allergies.

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: Medical experts have recommended against using cough and cold drugs in children under age 6. Talk to your doctor before your child takes any type of over-the-counter cough medicine, even if it is labeled for children. These medicines likely will not work for children, and they may have serious side effects.

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.

Outlook (Prognosis)   

The symptoms usually go away in 7 to 10 days.

Possible Complications   

• Bronchitis
• Pneumonia
• Ear infection
• Sinusitis
• Worsening of asthma

When to Contact a Medical Professional   

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

Prevention   

It might seem overwhelming to try to prevent colds, but you can do it. Children average three to eight colds per year. It is certainly better to get three than eight!

Here are five proven ways to reduce exposure to germs:

• Switch day care: Using a day care where there are six or fewer children dramatically reduces germ contact.
• Wash hands: Children and adults should wash hands at key moments -- after nose-wiping, after diapering or toileting, before eating, and before preparing food.
• Use instant hand sanitizers: A little dab will kill 99.99% of germs without any water or towels. The products use alcohol to destroy germs. They are an antiseptic, not an antibiotic, so resistance can't develop.
• Disinfect: Clean commonly touched surfaces (sink handles, sleeping mats) with an EPA-approved disinfectant.
• Use paper towels instead of shared cloth towels.

Here are seven ways to support the immune system:

• Avoid unnecessary antibiotics: The more people use antibiotics, the more likely they are to get sick with longer, more stubborn infections caused by more resistant organisms in the future.
• Breastfeed: Breast milk is known to protect against respiratory tract infections, even years after breastfeeding is done. Kids who don't breastfeed average five times more ear infections.
• Avoid second-hand smoke: Keep as far away from it as possible! It is responsible for many health problems, including millions of colds.
• Get enough sleep: Late bedtimes and poor sleep leave people vulnerable.
• Drink water: Your body needs fluids for the immune system to function properly.
• Eat yogurt: The beneficial bacteria in some active yogurt cultures help prevent colds.
• Take zinc: Children and adults who are zinc-deficient get more infections and stay sick longer.

 Homoeopathic Treatment

Homeopathy offers better and curative treatment in common cold as in all other ailments the flesh is heir to. Frequent catching cold is a constitutional weakness and homeopathy can eradicate the tendency to frequent catching cold. After the acute attack is over the homeopath should treat the patient on constitutional bases in order to strengthen the immune force against over susceptibility to common cold.

Miasm involved

PSORA

Prognosis

Very good.

HOMEOPATHIC THERAPEUTICS

 Aconitum napellus

 This is the best remedy for the onset of the trouble when it is caused by exposure to dry cold air. The child feels chilly and feverish and has thirst. Fluent coryza, frequent sneezing and dropping of clear hot water. The mucous membranes are dry and nose stopped up. The child is very restless and anxious. A dose taken every half-an-hour at the onset generally stops the further progress of the cold.

 Allium cepa

 It is one of the best remedies against cold in the head and is especially indicated when the discharge is profuse, thin and acrid with great smarting in the nose and in the eyes. The discharge often excoriates the upper lip and there is prolonged sneezing. One of the characteristic symptoms of this remedy is that the discharge ceases when the patient goes into the open air but returns when entering a warm room again. This remedy, even when indicated drives the trouble to the chest which generally then calls for Phosphorus.

 Ammonium carbonicum

 It is an effective remedy for children who suffer from stoppage of nose at night with long continued coryza. The child cannot breathe through nose. The discharge is of sharp, burning water. Tip of nose is congested. Snuffles of children. One of the characteristic symptoms of this remedy is epistaxis after washing the face in the morning or after eating. The children, who are chilly, susceptible and sensitive to cold; who readily catch cold in winter are specially benefited by this remedy.

 Arsenicum album

 It is especially useful in winter colds when there is a thin watery discharge from the nostrils which excoriates the upper lip. Nose feels stopped up and the sneezing does not provide any relief. Arsenic patient is worse in the open air and better indoors. Catarrh based upon a malarial miasm in poorly nourished children calls for this remedy. The Arsenic child is liable to catch cold particularly on exposure to cold and the cold very rapidly spreads to the chest. Very likely in 24 hours, the history of an acute coryza develops rapidly to bronchitis.

 Arum triphyllum

 Acrid excoriating discharge producing raw sores. Nose is generally obstructed with fluent acrid discharge and the child must breathe through mouth. One of the characteristic symptoms of this remedy is that the child bores into the nose or picks at the nose till it bleeds.

  Bryonia alba

 This remedy is often called for after Aconite or Nux vom when there is dryness of the mucous membrane of the nose and the lips are parched and dry. Coryza with shooting and aching in the forehead with swelling of tip of the nose. The discharge is thick and yellowish. Thirst for large quantities of water at long intervals.

Camphora officinalis

 Soon after the exposure to cold, whilst the chill is still present, Camphor IX on sugar every 15 minutes is often found to be helpful, until the chill passes. The extremities are cold to touch.

 Euphorbium officinarum

 The nasal discharge is bland, that is, it does not corrode the nose or the lip while the lachrymation is acrid. Profuse fluent coryza with violent cough and expectoration. The coryza accompanied by watery eyes all the time often calls this remedy.

 Gelsemium sempervirens

 This remedy is useful for catarrh due to warm and moist weather. Watery excoriating discharge as if ran hot water passing through nostrils. The coryza with dull headache and fever, the patient feels better near the fire. The malaise and the out-of-sort feeling at the beginning of the cold in a child often demand this remedy. The child has pre-disposition to take cold at every change of weather. The child is dull, drowsy and often complains of vertigo and wants to lie down quietly.

Hepar sulphur

 Cold from exposure to cold dry weather. Cold in nose with much discharge and sneezing every time the child goes into the cold wind. Nose is ulcerated and sensitive to touch. Catarrh of nose, ears, throat, larynx and chest. The discharge from nose is first watery, then thick yellow and offensive. The child has great tendency to take cold every time it goes into the dry and cold wind and suffers from hoarseness and cough. This remedy is especially useful when the common cold develops into sinusitis and often results in earache in children.

 Kalium bichromicum

 Catarrh with thick yellow or greenish ropy, stringy mucus discharges, which are tough and jelly-like. One of the characteristic symptoms of this remedy is the presence of adherent mucus, which can be drawn out into long strings. The nose is dry with pressive pain at the root. This remedy is useful in snuffles of children, especially fat and chubby babies. It is also indicated when the coryza is complicated with sinusitis. The discharge is thick and offensive and there is a tendency to the development of tough elastic plugs in the nose which when removed leave a raw surface. The coryza is often accompanied by obstruction of nose and violent sneezing.

  Natrium muriaticum

 Violent, fluent coryza lasting from one to 3 days, then changes into stoppage of nose. The discharge is thin, watery like white of an egg. Violent sneezing. Catarrh with abnormal quantity of secretion. Coryza accompanied by loss of smell and taste. The children demanding this remedy crave salt, hate fuss, are weepy and cannot stand consolation.

 Nux vomica

 One of the grand remedies against colds. It should be given when the first signs of cold appear especially after a heavy meal. The nose is dry, obstructed or is stopped at night and runs through the day. The throat feels rough and scraped. The child feels cold and cannot get warm by any amount of covering; wants to be near fire. The cold from dry cold weather especially calls for this remedy. Coryza fluent in warm room, better in cold air. The child is over-sensitive, irritable and touchy. It often antidotes the bad effect of cold catching.

 Phosphorus

 Frequent alternations of fluent and stopped coryza with sore throat, headache and feverishness. The cold settles in the lungs and results in tightness across the chest with a feeling of great weight on chest. It is especially indicated when the trouble has been pushed to the lungs after the administration of remedies like Allium cepa or Hepar sulph. The secretion in the nose dries to crusts which adhere tightly. There is great hoarseness and bronchial catarrh. Sneezing causes pain in the throat or head.

 Pulsatilla

 It is especially useful against 'ripe' cold with yellow or yellowish-green thick and bland discharge. There is loss of smell and stuffing of the nose at night and copious flow in the morning. Lips chapped and peel; the child had a tendency to moisten the lips with tongue. Cold accompanied by thirstlessness. The coryza is ameliorated in open air and is aggravated as soon as the patient enters a room. The child is of mild temperament and weepy and craves sympathy.

 Rhus toxicodendron

 Coryza from exposure to cold damp weather or exposure to cold damp when perspiring. Violent coryza with redness and oedema of throat. The discharge is thick yellow and offensive. The nose is stopped up with every cold. Coryza accompanied by bodyache and a desire to stretch. Tip of the nose red, sore, ulcerated. One of the characteristic symptoms of this remedy is that the tongue is coated except red triangular space at the tip.

 Tuberculinum bovinum kent

 This is especially indicated in children with tubercular diathesis and is especially adapted to the fair complexioned, narrow-chested children who are very susceptible to changes in the weather and take cold from the slightest exposure. This is a constitutional remedy and should be given when the other symptoms like offensive nature of discharges, fear of dogs, and family history of tuberculosis are present.

 Repertorisation

 GENERALS - COLD; TAKING A - tendency

ACON.. ALUM. Ant-c. Arg-n. Bac. BAR-C. Bell. BRYCalc. CALC-P. Calc-s. calc-sil. Calen.. Carb-v. Carbn-s.. CHAM.. CIST.. Con. DULC.. Ferr.. Gels.. Graph.. HEP. Hydrog. Hyos. KALI-AR. Kali-bi. KALI-C. KALI-I.. Lac-d. LYC. MED. MERC. NAT-AR. Nat-c. NAT-M. NIT-AC. Nux-m. NUX-V. Petr. Ph-ac. Phos. PSOR. Puls.. Rhus-t. RUMX.. SEP. SILSul-ac. Sulph. Thuj. TUB.

 GENERALS - COMPLAINTS - acute - recurrent

bar-c. calc. carc. merc. Psor. Sil. sulph. tub.

 GENERALS - HISTORY; personal - coryza; of recurrent

calc. cinnb. coloc. dulc. graph. kali-bi. lach. nat-c. nux-v. puls. SIL. Sulph.

 NOSE - CORYZA

AconAesc. Aids. ALL-C.. Am-c. Am-m. AMBR... Androc. Apoc. Arg-met. Arg-n. ARS. Ars-i. Arum-t. ARUND.. Asar. Aspar.. Aur. Aur-m.. Aven. Bad. Bamb-a.. BELL. Benz-ac. Berb. Borx. Brom. Bry. Cact. Calc. canth. Caps. Carb-ac. Carb-an. CARB-V. CARBN-S.. Caust. Cean.. Cham. CHEL. Chin. Chlor. Cic. Cina Cinnb. Colch. Cor-r. Cycl.. EUP-PER.. EUPHR. Ferr. Ferr-ar.. FERR-P. Gels.. Graph. HEP.. Hydr.. IodJab.. Just. Kali-ar. Kali-bi. Kali-c. Kali-chl. KALI-I. Kali-s. kali-sil. Kalm. Lac-c... Lach. Lyc.. Mag-c. Mag-m.. MERC. Merc-c. Merc-i-f. Merc-i-r. merc-sul. Mez.. Naja. NAT-AR. Nat-c. Nat-m. NUX-V. Osm. Petr. Ph-ac.. PHOS. Phos-pchl. Phyt.. PULS. RHUS-T.. Ros-d. Rumx. Sabad. Samb. Sang.. Sapo.. Senec. Sep. SIL.. Spong. Squil.. STAPH. Stict.. SULPH.. Teucr.

 NOSE - CORYZA - violent attacks

alum. alum-sil. ARS. ARUM-T. Bry. Calc. Carb-v. kali-n. LYC.. sil. Staph. thuj.

 NOSE - CORYZA - chilliness; with

Acon. arg-n. Ars. Bry. Camph.. Cham. Gels.. MERC.. NUX-V. Puls. Sarr. Sil. Spig. Spong. Sulph.

 NOSE - CORYZA - obstinate, with soreness beneath nose and on margin of nose

BROM. iod.

 NOSE - CORYZA - chilled; from becoming - overheated; while

ARS. Carb-v. Puls. Sil.

 NOSE - CORYZA - chilled; from becoming - snow or ice; from

ant-c. dros. iod. laur. puls. seneg. verat. verb.

 NOSE - CORYZA - uncovering; from - head; the

Hep. Nat-m.

 NOSE - CORYZA - bathing

ant-c. sulph.

 NOSE - CORYZA - bathing - amel.

calc-s.

 GENERALS - SEASONS - winter - agg.

ACON. Aesc. Agar. Alum. AM-C.. Arg-met. ARN. ARS. AUR.. Bar-c. Bell.. Brucel. BRY. Calc. Calc-p. calc-sil. CAMPH. Caps Carb-v.. Caust. Cham.. Coc-c. Con. DULC. Ferr. FL-AC.. HELL. HEP. Hyos. Ign. Ip. Kali-bi. KALI-C. Kali-p. kali-sil. Kalm. LYC.. MANG. Merc. Mez. MOSCH. NUX-M. NUX-V. PETR.. Phos. PSOR. PULS. Rhod. RHUS-T. Sabad. sec. Sep. Sil. STRONT-C. Sulph. syph. VERAT..

 GENERALS - SEASONS - winter - agg. - December

calc-sil. ferr-sil. kali-sil. mag-sil. nat-sil. sil. sil-met.

 GENERALS - SEASONS - winter - agg. - mid winter

gels.

 GENERALS - SEASONS - winter - agg. - solstice; at

Aur. bry. Calc. calc-p. cic. colch. Dulc. graph. hep. ign. Kali-bi. merc. nat-m. nux-v. Rhod. RHUS-T. SEP. Verat.

 GENERALS - SEASONS - winter - ailments since winter

sangin-n.

 GENERALS - SEASONS - winter - amel.

glon. ilx-a. ilx-c. sul-i.

 Note: The above abbreviation of the remedies are the standard abbreviation found in all repertories.