HealthTree Blog

Almost all children and adults have at one time or another suffered from the common cold. More than a billion people each year get a cold and it is estimated that 22 million days of school are missed by children each year because of it.

“Rhinovirus” is the most common of the 200 viruses that cause colds. The word “rhino” is Greek for “nose” and therefore rhinovirus means “nose virus”. These viruses love a temperature of about 91 degrees which is the temperature of a person’s nose.

The most common way to contract a cold is touch an object that has the germ on it and then rub your nose or eyes or breathe in the virus. Weather conditions,  and becoming overheated or chilled do not have an effect on whether or not a person catches a cold. Most experts believe the reason there so many more colds in the winter than in warmer weather is due to the fact that people mostly stay indoors.

Children are more likely to catch a cold because they share objects more frequently and do not always practice good health habits. A runny and/or stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing and watery eyes are the most common symptoms of a cold. Sometimes a person may have a low-grade fever.

As there is no cure for the common cold the best a person can do is to treat the symptoms. Drinking plenty of fluids, using throat spray or lozenges, taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen, and keeping the nose moist are the best methods of relief. Do not give a child aspirin for a cold as it has been associated with the serious disease “Reyes Syndrome.” Teaching children to wash their hands frequently, using tissues rather than hands for runny noses and not sharing personal items are the best ways to help prevent the spread of a cold.