There are more than 200
cold viruses, and the most common of which are Rhinoviruses. More than 110 distinct rhinovirus types have
been identified. Coronaviruses are
believed to cause a large percentage of all adult colds and normally induce
colds primarily in the winter and early spring.
Though there are more than 30 isolated strains, three or five infect
humans.
Many people are nowadays
convinced that a cold results from their exposure to cold weather, or from
getting chilled soft drinks, but the fact is that these conditions have little
or no effect on the development or severity of the cold. Cold viruses cause infection by overcoming
the body’s defense system.
The body’s first line of
defense against viruses that come through nose or mouth is mucous, the mucous
is produced by the membranes in the nose and throat. Mucous job is to trap the material that we
inhale, pollen, dust, bacteria and viruses.
When a virus penetrates the mucous like in the case of cold virus and
enters a cell, it commandeers the protein making machinery to manufacture new
viruses.
The cold symptoms of
runny nose and sneezing nothing but the immune system way of attacking the cold
virus. The cold virus infected cells in
the nose sends out signals that recruits specialized white blood cells which
release chemicals. These chemicals are
the causative factor for symptoms of the common cold by causing swelling and inflammation
of the nasal membranes, leakage of proteins and fluids from capillaries and
lymph vessels and the increased production of mucous to get rid of the cold
virus.
For common colds, the
above symptoms like runny nose, are indication that the body is taking care to
get rid of the invaders. After this,
only symptomatic treatment is required in uncomplicated cases of the common
cold like take bed rest, plenty of fluids, gargling with warm water, no need of
even medicine. The above symptomatic
treatment should take care to relieve your cold symptoms and even shorten the
duration of illness without the over the counter medicines.
