Common Cold Treatment

Common cold and influenza are viral diseases, and their symptoms mimic each other. Some notable cold symptoms are sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion and cough. For viral infections, medication treatment is usually not necessary. In fact, there is no cure for head cold and chest cold. The only solution is to let the disease run its course. However, common cold treatment is adopted for relieving the discomfort symptoms, while the body fights pathogens.

Common Cold Treatment Guidelines

In medical terms, common cold is referred to as viral upper respiratory tract infection. According to medical reports, more than 200 strains of viruses are capable of causing common cold. Thus, it is not so easy to find medication specific to the casual pathogen. Also, using medicine for common cold treatment suppresses the body's immune system in some way or the other. And the outcome is, recurring cold infections, especially in school going children.

Common Cold Treatment at Home
The symptoms of cold usually last for 7 days, if the causal pathogen is a virus. Some effectual home remedies for common cold include the following.

• Take rest at home and try to get sound sleep at night. This will prepare the immune system for fighting infections and also, minimize the infection from spreading to others. Read more on is common cold contagious.
• For ease in breathing, drink ample amounts of water. You can sip hot ginger tea and other herbal teas for fast recovery.
• Keep your environment warm, humid and comfortable. If required, switch on a room humidifier and make yourself feel comfortable.

• For throat soreness symptom, one of the common cold remedies is gargling with hot (but tolerable) salt water several times a day. A simple salt water recipe for gargling is dissolving ½ teaspoon salt in 1 glass water.
• For quick recovery from common cold, eat nutritious foods and do not skip meals at any cost. The point is to boost the immune system, and allow the body to fight off the infections.
• Common cold treatment for babies and infants involve using a bulb syringe to draw out nasal mucus. Also, encourage them to drink water and fluids for minimizing dehydration effects.
• Another home remedy for cold is inhaling steam to break up mucus congestion. Using essential oils (peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil) for body rubbing and inhalation therapy works wonders in clearing stuffy nose. You can read more on home remedies for head cold.

Therapeutic Treatment for Common Cold
So, how to treat a cold with therapeutic intervention? Till date, there is no proven medication for common cold treatment. The prescribed medications depend on the manifested symptoms that concern the patient. Say for example, sore throat can be alleviated with throat lozenges and throat sprays, while nasal congestion is best treated with nasal sprays and decongestants (oral and topical). Likewise, cough sprays and cough syrups are used for reducing constant cough.

For body aches and sore throat, taking ibuprofen and acetaminophen soothes the pain symptoms. And in case of suspected allergy symptoms that accompany common cold, treatment involves taking antihistamines. If common cold symptoms do not subside even after a week's period, most likely the condition is caused by bacterial infection. For such a case, advocation of antibiotic medication under strict medical supervision is required for prompt recovery.

Common Cold Treatment Overview

Medical science reports clearly indicate that occurrence rate of common cold is the highest as compared to other ailments. One reason for this is the contagious nature, wherein the causal pathogen can be transmitted from one infected person to another via respiratory secretions and direct hand contact. But, the prime reason is administration of over-the-counter (OTC) medications at the first onset of symptoms. They not only increase the risk of frequent infections, but are also associated with several adverse effects. Thus, treating common cold with OTC drugs is not recommended, particularly for young children to avoid side effects.

In a nutshell, the best cure for the common cold is to prevent viral infections at the first instant. Indeed, understanding the basics for common cold treatment and prevention will go a long way in minimizing this self-limiting, contagious disease in future. Proper hygiene and personal cleanliness are the thumb rules to keep common cold at bay. Washing hands regularly, using alcohol-based hand sanitizer and maintaining distance from infected persons are some of the ways for common cold prevention.