Translations:Common cold/1/en
Medical condition
| Common cold | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Cold, acute viral nasopharyngitis, nasopharyngitis, viral rhinitis, rhinopharyngitis, acute coryza, head cold, upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) |
 | |
| A representation of the molecular surface of one variant of human rhinovirus | |
| Specialty | Infectious disease |
| Symptoms | Cough, sore throat, runny nose, fever |
| Complications | Usually none, but occasionally otitis media, sinusitis, pneumonia and sepsis can occur |
| Usual onset | ~2 days from exposure |
| Duration | 1–3 weeks |
| Causes | Viral (usually rhinovirus) |
| Diagnostic method | Based on symptoms |
| Differential diagnosis | Allergic rhinitis, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, pertussis, sinusitis |
| Prevention | Hand washing, cough etiquette, social distancing, vitamin C |
| Treatment | Symptomatic therapy, zinc |
| Medication | NSAIDs |
| Frequency | 2–3 per year (adults) 6–8 per year (children) |