Common Cold and Viral fevers

Common cold in kids particularly infants is more common and distressing and eats up a major portion of the child's body energy and leaves child with fatigue and weakness. Though most responsible and prominent virus for Common cold is 'rhino virus’, there are actually 200 different variants of common cold viruses. Common cold viruses enter the respiratory tract and infect the nose linings, sinus, trachea and other parts of lungs creating irritation and burning sensation.

Common cold is a highly seasonal disease which occurs whenever there is a shift in weather either from hot to rainy or rainy to cold or cold to hot or hot to cold. It is highly contagious and spreads rapidly by handshake, sneezing, sharing handkerchief or towel and/or by other direct contact with infected person. Generally in a close family this virus spread from one member to another.

The most common symptoms of Common cold are running nose, burning sensation in throat and trachea, sore throat, cough, nasal congestions, mild to high fevers and extreme headache. Though the fever does not last long; congestion in nasal, burning sensation in throat and trachea, runny nose, sore throats, roughness in throat and other mild symptoms such as sneezing continues over for a week.

There is no medical treatment discovered so far to cure Common cold. As this is a viral disease none of the antibiotics cures common cold neither are helpful in reducing the intensity nor do they make symptoms mild. While visiting to a doctor, your family physician generally examines respiratory tract and gives antibiotic and throat smoothing medicines. The main work of antibiotic is to keep other bacteria away from attacking respiratory tract and throat smoothing medicines reduces cough and burning sensation in throat and trachea and other symptoms such as sore throat, cough and nasal congestions

The natural remedies such as steam buffs of eucalyptus oil, gargling with warm water, steam buffs of menthol and other herbs are used for reducing the intensity of Common cold and they do provides relief to nasal congestions, burning sensation in throat and trachea. Essentially these herbs does not cure cold, but they only reduce the intensity of symptoms and provides a  temporary relief.

Even though the symptoms generally weakens over a time Common cold symptoms are mostly visible for 5 days to one week. Its is recommended to take lots of warm liquid that helps in balancing the loss of fluid by body.

Prevention: Common cold viruses generally spreads by sneezing, handshake, sharing handkerchief or towel and/or by other direct contact with infected person. Highly recommended prevention for common cold is to avoid direct contact with affected person, wash your hands and feet after returning back to home from outside, wearing mask provides good bearer to this virus.

If you are the infected person avoid touching objects that are commonly used by kids (such as toys). Try to keep your self away from other family members to prevent the possibility of spreading it to other members.

Advise: Its is highly advisable particularly for small kids and Infants to visit family physician as soon as symptoms of Common cold are visible, Infant and kids suffers more drastically and may succumb to other infections if not properly taken care of. Maintaining warm temperature in room, wearing warm cloths with proper medications proves a quick relief in infants and small kids.