From Patent US 6,321,120 B1Encyclopedia Entry for Common cold :Common cold - how to treat at home. Treating your symptoms will not make your cold go away, but will help you feel better. Antibiotics are almost never needed to treat a common cold. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) help lower fever and relieve muscle aches. DO NOT use aspirin. Check the label for the proper dose. Call your provider if you need to take these medicines more than 4 times per day or for more than 2 or 3 days. Over-the-counter (OTC) cold and cough medicines may help ease symptoms in adults and older children. They are not recommended for children under age 6. Talk to your provider before giving your child OTC cold medicine, which can have serious side effects. Coughing is your body's way of getting mucus out of your lungs. So use cough syrups only when your cough becomes too painful. Throat lozenges or sprays for your sore throat. Many cough and cold medicines you buy have more than one medicine inside. Read the labels carefully to make sure you do not take too much of any one medicine. If you take prescription medicines for another health problem, ask your provider which OTC cold medicines are safe for you. Drink plenty of fluids, get enough sleep, and stay away from secondhand smoke. Wheezing can be a common symptom of a cold if you have asthma. Use your rescue inhaler as prescribed if you are wheezing. See your provider immediately if it becomes hard to breathe.Many home remedies are popular treatments for the common cold. These include vitamin C, zinc supplements, and echinacea. Although not proven to be helpful, most home remedies are safe for most people. Some remedies may cause side effects or allergic reactions. Certain remedies may change the way other medicines work. Talk to your provider before trying any herbs and supplements.Wash your hands often. This is the best way to stop the spread of germs. To wash your hands correctly: Rub soap onto wet hands for 20 seconds. Make sure to get under your fingernails. Dry your hands with a clean paper towel and turn faucet off with paper towel. You can also use alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Use a dime size amount and rub all over your hands until they are dry. To further prevent colds: Stay home when you are sick. Cough or sneeze into a tissue or into the crease of your elbow and not into the air.Try treating your cold at home first. Call your provider right away, or go to the emergency room, if you have: Difficulty breathing Sudden chest pain or abdominal pain Sudden dizziness Acting strangely Severe vomiting that does not go away Also call your provider if: You start acting strangely Your symptoms get worse or do not improve after 7 to 10 days.Upper respiratory infection - home care; URI - home care.Cold remedies Cold remedies.Miller EK, Williams JV. The common cold.Encyclopedia Entry for Common cold :Common cold. It is called the common cold for good reason. There are over one billion colds in the United States each year. You and your children will probably have more colds than any other type of illness. Colds are the most common reason that children miss school and parents miss work. Parents often get colds from their children. Children can get many colds every year. They usually get them from other children. A cold can spread quickly through schools or daycares. Colds can occur at any time of the year, but they are most common in the winter or rainy seasons. A cold virus spreads through tiny, air droplets that are released when the sick person sneezes, coughs, or blows their nose. You can catch a cold if: A person with a cold sneezes, coughs, or blows their nose near you You touch your nose, eyes, or mouth after you have touched something contaminated by the virus, such as a toy or doorknob People are most contagious for the first 2 to 3 days of a cold. A cold is most often not contagious after the first week.Cold symptoms usually start about 2 or 3 days after you came in contact with the virus, although it could take up to a week. Symptoms mostly affect the nose. The most common cold symptoms are: Nasal congestion Runny nose Scratchy throat Sneezing Adults and older children with colds generally have a low fever or no fever. Young children often run a fever around 100 F to 102 F (37.7 C to 38.8 C). Depending on which virus caused your cold, you may also have: Cough Decreased appetite Headache Muscle aches Postnasal drip Sore throat Cold symptoms.Most colds go away in a few days. Some things you can do to take care of yourself with a cold include: Get plenty of rest and drink fluids. Over-the-counter (OTC) cold and cough medicines may help ease symptoms in adults and older children. They do not make your cold go away faster, but can help you feel better. These OTC medicines are not recommended for children under age 4. Antibiotics should not be used to treat a common cold. Many alternative treatments have been tried for colds, such as vitamin C, zinc supplements, and echinacea. Talk to your health care provider before trying any herbs or supplements.The fluid from your runny nose will become thicker. It may turn yellow or green within a few days. This is normal, and not a reason for antibiotics. Most cold symptoms go away within a week in most cases. If you still feel sick after 7 days, see your provider. Your provider may check to rule out a sinus infection, allergies, or other medical problem.Colds are the most common trigger of wheezing in children with asthma. A cold may also lead to: Bronchitis Ear infection Pneumonia Sinusitis.Try treating your cold at home first. Call your provider if: You have problems breathing. Your symptoms get worse or do not improve after 7 to 10 days.To lower your chances of getting sick: Always wash your hands. Children and adults should wash hands after nose-wiping, diapering, and using the bathroom, and before eating and preparing food. Disinfect your environment. Clean commonly touched surfaces (such as sink handles, door knobs, and sleeping mats) with an EPA-approved disinfectant. Choose smaller daycare classes for your children. Use instant hand sanitizers to stop the spread of germs. Use paper towels instead of sharing cloth towels. The immune system helps your body fight off infection. Here are ways to support the immune system: Avoid secondhand smoke. It is responsible for many health problems, including colds. DO NOT use antibiotics if they are not needed. Breastfeed infants if possible. Breast milk is known to protect against respiratory tract infections in children, even years after you stop breastfeeding. Drink plenty of fluids to help your immune system work properly. Eat yogurt that contains 'active cultures.' These may help prevent colds. Probiotics may help prevent colds in children. Get enough sleep.Upper respiratory infection - viral; Cold.Allergic rhinitis - what to ask your doctor - adult Allergic rhinitis - what to ask your doctor - child Colds and the flu - what to ask your doctor - adult Colds and the flu - what to ask your doctor - child.Throat anatomy Throat anatomy Cold symptoms Cold symptoms Antibodies Antibodies Cold remedies Cold remedies.Allan GM, Arroll B. Prevention and treatment of the common cold: making sense of the evidence. CMAJ. 2014;186(3):190-199. PMID: 24468694 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24468694. Avner JR. Fever.Encyclopedia Entry for Common cold :Common cold (Acute viral rhinopharyngitis; Acute coryza). Source of disease: usually rhinoviruses and coronaviruses