Cold and Flu Overview

The common cold and flu are the most common diseases that affect people. Instances of people being brought down with these diseases is quite common, all thanks to an unhealthy lifestyle and a poor diet. Basically, cold and flu are viral infections of respiratory tract and it is strange but true that, in spite of great strides in medical sciences, there is no cure for cold and flu. There is an old saying that cold can be cured in a week with medicines and it takes seven days to cure without any medicines. Common cold, also called nasopharyngitis, basically affects the upper respiratory tract, mainly the nasal passages. Flu, a virus by the name of influenza, affects the nose, respiratory tract and lungs. Though, both these conditions are almost similar, flu has a more adverse effect on the patient, since it has many severe symptoms.

Many people are often the victims of common cold and flu and these diseases affect people irrespective of their ages. Children, especially, are at very high risk of continuous attacks of cold. Even adults can be the victims of these conditions. Both of these conditions offer severe discomfort as the patient has to suffer a sore throat, nasal congestion, dry cough and severe sneezing. It is really a tricky task to find out the exact cause of common cold as any one among 100 known viruses can cause this condition.

Though common cold and flu are not very harmful, they bring about a few physical transitions which should be dealt with utmost care. These diseases gradually weaken the immune system of the patient. As a result, the patient tends to lose his strength.

A wave of new studies show that rhinovirus and coronavirus are often the causes of common cold and are highly contagious. These viruses enter the body through the nose or mouth. When the patient sneezes, coughs or talks, the virus can spread through air and affect others due to their inhaling of the air containing virus. Sharing personal things with the affected person can also result in the spread of this disease. Cold and flu epidemic are very common occurrences in late fall and winter. In a given community, up to half of the population can be affected by cold and flu. Schools are often the worst places for the spread of the disease and the families with school going children are more susceptible.

The best way to prevent from getting these diseases is to take yearly flu vaccination. It is more effective if you take the vaccination six to eight months before the onset of the flu season. Usually, doctors diagnose the disease by its common symptoms without the requirement of any tests if the symptoms are observed during a flu epidemic.

It is true that one can overcome the disease without any medical help by taking complete rest for a week, in-take of adequate quantities of fluids and taking some over the counter drugs like aspirin. But, aspirin should not be administered to kids and adolescents. Doctors usually prescribe antiviral medications. These are advised based on the age of the patient and the severity of the disease. If neglected, the disease can sometimes lead to complications like high fever, chills and chest pain during breathing.