Editing Common cold (section)

{{short description|Common viral infection of the upper respiratory tract}}
{{distinguish|Influenza}}
{{Pp|small=yes}}
{{cs1 config|name-list-style=vanc}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Good article}}
{{Infobox medical condition (new)
| name          = Common cold
| image         = Rhinovirus isosurface.png
| alt           = 
| caption       = A representation of the molecular surface of one variant of human [[rhinovirus]]
| image_size    = 220
| field         = [[Infectious disease (medical specialty)|Infectious disease]]
| synonyms      = Cold, acute viral nasopharyngitis, nasopharyngitis, viral rhinitis, rhinopharyngitis, acute coryza, head cold,<ref>{{cite book |title=Textbook of Oral Medicine |year=2008 |publisher=Jaypee Brothers Publishers |isbn=978-81-8061-562-7 |page=336 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8_jWY8wOGEsC&pg=PA336 |vauthors=Pramod JR |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529132044/https://books.google.com/books?id=8_jWY8wOGEsC&pg=PA336 |archive-date=29 May 2016}}</ref> upper respiratory tract infection (URTI)<ref name=korean>{{cite journal |vauthors=Lee H, Kang B, Hong M, Lee HL, Choi JY, Lee JA |title=Eunkyosan for the common cold: A PRISMA-compliment systematic review of randomised, controlled trials |journal=Medicine |volume=99 |issue=31 |pages=e21415 |date=July 2020 |pmid=32756141 |pmc=7402720 |doi=10.1097/MD.0000000000021415}}</ref>
| symptoms      = [[Cough]], [[sore throat]], [[Rhinorrhea|runny nose]], [[fever]]<ref name=CDC2015/><ref name=Eccles2005/>
| complications = Usually none, but occasionally [[otitis media]], [[sinusitis]], [[pneumonia]] and [[sepsis]] can occur<ref name=Ben2014>{{cite book |vauthors=Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ |title=Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases |date=2014 |publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences |isbn=978-1-4557-4801-3 |page=750 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BseNCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA750 |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908184148/https://books.google.com/books?id=BseNCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA750 |archive-date=8 September 2017}}</ref>
| onset         = ~2 days from exposure<ref name=CMAJ2014/>
| duration      = 1–3 weeks<ref name=CDC2015/><ref name=Heik2003/>
| causes        = [[Virus|Viral]] (usually [[rhinovirus]])<ref name=CE11/>
| risks         = 
| diagnosis     = Based on symptoms
| differential  = [[Allergic rhinitis]], [[bronchitis]], [[bronchiolitis]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Bronchiolitis: Symptoms and Causes |url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bronchiolitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351565 |website=[[Mayo Clinic]] |access-date=3 May 2022 |archive-date=3 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503002225/https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bronchiolitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351565 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[pertussis]], [[sinusitis]]<ref name=Ben2014/>
| prevention    = [[Hand washing]], [[cough etiquette]], [[social distancing]], [[vitamin C]]<ref name=CDC2015/><ref name=E209/>
| treatment     = [[symptomatic treatment|Symptomatic therapy]],<ref name=CDC2015/> [[zinc]]<ref name=NIH2016Zinc/>
| medication    = [[NSAIDs]]<ref name=Kim2015/>
| frequency     = 2–3 per year (adults)<br /> 6–8 per year (children)<ref name=AFP07/>
| deaths        = 
}}

The '''common cold''', or the '''cold''', is a [[virus|viral]] [[infectious disease]] of the [[upper respiratory tract]] that primarily affects the [[Respiratory epithelium|respiratory mucosa]] of the [[human nose|nose]], [[throat]], [[Paranasal sinuses|sinuses]], and [[larynx]].<ref name=CMAJ2014/><ref name=CE11>{{cite journal |vauthors=Arroll B |title=Common cold |journal=BMJ Clinical Evidence |volume=2011 |issue=3 |page=1510 |date=March 2011 |pmid=21406124 |pmc=3275147 |quote=Common colds are defined as upper respiratory tract infections that affect the predominantly nasal part of the respiratory mucosa}}</ref> Signs and symptoms may appear in as little as two days after exposure to the virus.<ref name=CMAJ2014>{{cite journal |vauthors=Allan GM, Arroll B |title=Prevention and treatment of the common cold: making sense of the evidence |journal=CMAJ |volume=186 |issue=3 |pages=190–9 |date=February 2014 |pmid=24468694 |pmc=3928210 |doi=10.1503/cmaj.121442}}</ref> These may include [[cough]]ing, [[sore throat]], [[rhinorrhea|runny nose]], [[Sneeze|sneezing]], [[headache]], [[fatigue]], and [[fever]].<ref name=CDC2015/><ref name=Eccles2005>{{cite journal |vauthors=Eccles R |title=Understanding the symptoms of the common cold and influenza |journal=The Lancet. Infectious Diseases |volume=5 |issue=11 |pages=718–25 |date=November 2005 |pmid=16253889 |pmc=7185637 |doi=10.1016/S1473-3099(05)70270-X}}</ref> People usually recover in seven to ten days,<ref name=CDC2015/> but some symptoms may last up to three weeks.<ref name=Heik2003>{{cite journal |vauthors=Heikkinen T, Järvinen A |title=The common cold |journal=Lancet |volume=361 |issue=9351 |pages=51–9 |date=January 2003 |pmid=12517470 |pmc=7112468 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(03)12162-9}}</ref> Occasionally, those with other [[health problems]] may develop [[pneumonia]].<ref name=CDC2015/>

<!-- Cause, diagnosis, and pathophysiology -->
Well over 200 [[virus strain]]s are implicated in causing the common cold, with [[rhinovirus]]es, [[coronavirus]]es, [[Adenoviridae|adenoviruses]] and [[enterovirus]]es being the most common.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/community/for-patients/common-illnesses/colds.html |title=Common Cold |publisher=[[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] |access-date=27 January 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201101449/http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/community/for-patients/common-illnesses/colds.html |archive-date=1 February 2016}}</ref> They spread through the air or indirectly through contact with objects in the environment, followed by transfer to the mouth or nose.<ref name=CDC2015/> Risk factors include going to [[child care]] facilities, [[Sleep deprivation|not sleeping well]], and [[psychological stress]].<ref name=CMAJ2014/> The symptoms are mostly due to the body's [[immune response]] to the infection rather than to [[Tissue (biology)|tissue destruction]] by the viruses themselves.<ref name=E112>Eccles p. 112</ref> The symptoms of [[influenza]] are similar to those of a cold, although usually more severe and less likely to include a [[runny nose]].<ref name=CMAJ2014/><ref>{{cite web |title=Cold Versus Flu |date=11 August 2016 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/coldflu.htm |access-date=5 January 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106173600/https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/coldflu.htm |archive-date=6 January 2017}}</ref>

<!-- Prevention and treatment -->
There is no [[vaccine]] for the common cold.<ref name=CDC2015/> This is due to the rapid mutation and wide variation of viruses that cause the common cold.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Colds: How to Prevent Them |url=https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/colds#:~:text=There%20is%20no%20cure%20for%20colds;%20there%20only%20is%20treatment,Foxman. |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Yale Medicine |language=en}}</ref> The primary methods of prevention are [[correct hand washing technique|hand washing]]; not touching the eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands; and [[Social distancing|staying away from sick people]].<ref name=CDC2015/> People are considered contagious as long as the symptoms are still present.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-10-18 |title=Common cold |url=https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/common-cold/ |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=nhs.uk |language=en}}</ref> Some evidence supports the use of [[Surgical mask|face masks]].<ref name=E209>Eccles p. 209</ref> There is also no [[cure]], but the symptoms can be treated.<ref name=CDC2015/> [[Zinc]] may reduce the duration and severity of symptoms if started shortly after the onset of symptoms.<ref name=NIH2016Zinc>{{cite web |title=Zinc – Fact Sheet for Health Professionals |url=https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional |publisher=Office of Dietary Supplements, US National Institutes of Health |date=10 July 2019 |access-date=27 December 2019 |quote=Although studies examining the effect of zinc treatment on cold symptoms have had somewhat conflicting results, overall zinc appears to be beneficial under certain circumstances.... In September of 2007, Caruso and colleagues published a structured review of the effects of zinc lozenges, nasal sprays, and nasal gels on the common cold [69]. Of the 14 randomized, placebo-controlled studies included, 7 (5 using zinc lozenges, 2 using a nasal gel) showed that the zinc treatment had a beneficial effect and 7 (5 using zinc lozenges, 1 using a nasal spray, and 1 using lozenges and a nasal spray) showed no effect. More recently, a Cochrane review concluded that "zinc (lozenges or syrup) is beneficial in reducing the duration and severity of the common cold in healthy people, when taken within 24 hours of onset of symptoms" [73]. The author of another review completed in 2004 also concluded that zinc can reduce the duration and severity of cold symptoms [68]. However, more research is needed to determine the optimal dosage, zinc formulation and duration of treatment before a general recommendation for zinc in the treatment of the common cold can be made [73]. As previously noted, the safety of intranasal zinc has been called into question because of numerous reports of anosmia (loss of smell), in some cases long-lasting or permanent, from the use of zinc-containing nasal gels or sprays [17–19]. |archive-date=25 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210325180015/https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug]]s (NSAIDs) such as [[ibuprofen]] may help with pain.<ref name=Kim2015>{{cite journal |vauthors=Kim SY, Chang YJ, Cho HM, Hwang YW, Moon YS |title=Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the common cold |journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |volume=2015 |issue=9 |pages=CD006362 |date=September 2015 |pmid=26387658 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD006362.pub4|pmc=10040208 }}</ref> [[Antibiotic]]s, however, should not be used, as all colds are caused by viruses rather than bacteria.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Harris AM, Hicks LA, Qaseem A |title=Appropriate Antibiotic Use for Acute Respiratory Tract Infection in Adults: Advice for High-Value Care From the American College of Physicians and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |journal=Annals of Internal Medicine |volume=164 |issue=6 |pages=425–34 |date=March 2016 |pmid=26785402 |doi=10.7326/M15-1840 |doi-access=|s2cid=746771 }}</ref> There is no good evidence that [[cough medicine]]s are effective.<ref name=CMAJ2014/><ref name=Mal2017>{{cite journal |vauthors=Malesker MA, Callahan-Lyon P, Ireland B, Irwin RS |title=Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Treatment for Acute Cough Associated With the Common Cold: CHEST Expert Panel Report |journal=Chest |volume=152 |issue=5 |pages=1021–1037 |date=November 2017 |pmid=28837801 |pmc=6026258 |doi=10.1016/j.chest.2017.08.009 |quote=A suggestion for the use of zinc lozenges in healthy adults with cough due to common cold was considered by the expert panel. However, due to weak evidence, the potential side effects of zinc, and the relatively benign and common nature of the condition being treated, the panel did not approve inclusion of this suggestion.}}</ref>

<!-- Epidemiology and history -->
The common cold is the most frequent infectious disease in humans.<ref name=E1>Eccles p. 1</ref> Under normal circumstances, the average adult gets two to three colds a year, while the average child may get six to eight colds a year.<ref name=CE11/><ref name=AFP07>{{cite journal |vauthors=Simasek M, Blandino DA |title=Treatment of the common cold |journal=American Family Physician |volume=75 |issue=4 |pages=515–20 |date=February 2007 |pmid=17323712 |url=http://www.aafp.org/afp/20070215/515.html |url-status=live |df=dmy-all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926230125/http://www.aafp.org/afp/20070215/515.html |archive-date=26 September 2007}}</ref> Infections occur more commonly [[#Weather|during the winter]].<ref name=CDC2015>{{cite web |title=Common Colds: Protect Yourself and Others |url=https://www.cdc.gov/features/rhinoviruses/ |website=CDC |access-date=4 February 2016 |date=6 October 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205062000/http://www.cdc.gov/features/rhinoviruses/ |archive-date=5 February 2016}}</ref> These infections have existed throughout human history.<ref name="Eccles p. 3">{{cite book |vauthors=Eccles R, Weber O |title=Common cold |year=2009 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rRIdiGE42IEC&pg=PA3 |publisher=Birkhäuser |location=Basel |isbn=978-3-7643-9894-1 |page=3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508020931/https://books.google.com/books?id=rRIdiGE42IEC&pg=PA3 |archive-date=8 May 2016}}</ref>