Cold Medicine

“Cold” and “flu” are common symptom syndromes caused by viral infections of the upper respiratory tract. It is difficult to precisely define these syndromes due to the wide variation in severity, duration, and types of symptoms. Rhinoviruses cause 30–50% of all cold cases, while coronaviruses are the second most common cause, accounting for 10–15% of cases. The common cold syndrome has been defined in terms of experimental influenza as a mild and short illness with early symptoms such as headache, sneezing, chills, and sore throat, followed by nasal discharge, nasal congestion, cough, and malaise. Symptom severity usually increases rapidly, peaking 2–3 days after infection, with an average duration of 7–10 days, although some symptoms may persist for more than 3 weeks.