Introduction
Colds are often also referred to as mild flu-like infections. This disease is caused by viruses and affects the upper respiratory tract. People with a cold have an acute inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose and throat, which then secrete watery secretions.
This secretion clogs the nose and causes frequent nose blowing. A cold is often associated with mild fever and general fatigue. The patient feels flabby and is exhausted very quickly. Besides the usual symptoms, such as coughing. hoarseness and a runny nose, there may occasionally be a swelling on the palate, which disappears quickly after the cold.
Course of symptoms
The course of a cold is by no means the same for everyone, and the severity of the symptoms can also vary from person to person. As a rule, each cold lasts on average about 7-9 days, whereby it proceeds in different phases. In the first two days after the infection (the so-called initial phase) there is usually a slight headache and aching limbs, a feeling of tiredness and exhaustion, and there may be a beginning sore throat or scratching in the throat.
Those affected also report a burning sensation in the nose. In the acute phase that follows (usually on the 3rd – 5th day), the same symptoms occur in a much more severe form, but may be accompanied by fever and a stuffy or runny nose. In the late phase (days 6-9), all symptoms gradually subside, and under certain circumstances a dry, irritable cough may occur, which may even develop into a productive, phlegm-promoting cough.
Eventually, all symptoms will disappear completely and a complete recovery will be achieved without complications. Fever can also be a symptom of a cold. The analgesics Aspirin© and Grippostad© mentioned above are fever-reducing drugs.
However, it can also be relieved with home remedies: Calf compresses made of vinegar, which are renewed every twenty minutes, are good for lowering fever. The vinegar opens the pores, increasing blood flow to the lower extremities. More blood thus reaches the superficial arteries and is cooled by the evaporative cold on the surface.
After the patient has just complained of freezing, he can sweat again the next moment. The sweating is due to the fever. Cold calf compresses made from vinegar, as mentioned above, provide quick relief.
In any case you should avoid going out into the cold air with wet sweaty clothes. Cooling down is not desirable as the body is already very weakened. Night sweat describes a symptom that is associated with excessive sweating during the night hours.
Those affected usually have to change their clothes or bed linen several times during the night. Due to the temperature fluctuations of fever, increased sweating may occur at times. However, this is not strictly limited to the night.
In the case of proper night sweat, the cause is often another underlying disease. A hot-water bottle helps against freezing with a cold. It should be made sure to use a fabric cover to avoid burns.
A hot tea also relieves the symptoms. With ginger tea for example, the hotness has a supporting effect. A hot shower also warms the body.
As a side effect, the high humidity also releases the nose. Headaches are a common symptom of a cold. Recommended to relieve them is a walk in the fresh air.
If this is not possible, magnesium tablets can also be taken. Magnesium ensures that the contracted blood vessels are dilated again and the greater blood flow causes the tension headaches to disappear. At the same time, care must be taken to ensure that a lot of fluid in the form of unsweetened tea and water is supplied to the body.
Fruit juices or soft drinks are not well suited as suppliers of fluids, as they extract water from the body through their sugar content. (An osmotic balance prevails in the body). If all this does not lead to any improvement, analgesics (medication) can also be used.
In the case of a cold, Aspirin© Complex is recommended to alleviate all symptoms. The active substance complex helps against headaches and fever and at the same time has a slightly stimulating effect. The general condition improves quickly.It is essential to follow the package insert when taking the product.
For headaches and fever, remedies such as Grippostad© can also help, but they do not contain the inflating component. Grippostad contains the painkiller paracetamol and should not be taken in cases of known liver damage. Here too, the package insert must be read before taking the drug.
Pain in the limbs is one of the classic cold symptoms. These are muscular pains that are particularly felt in the limbs, i.e. in the arms and legs. In response to the pathogens, the body releases a variety of messenger substances that are supposed to activate the immune system.
These messenger substances circulate throughout the body and are not limited to the nasopharyngeal region. In the muscles, these messenger substances cause, among other things, the pain receptors to become more sensitive. This is why a sore muscle-like pain is perceived in the limbs, even though no major strain has occurred.
If earache occurs in the context of a cold, a distinction must be made as to whether it is purely a symptom of the cold or whether the cold is accompanied by an inflammation of the middle ear. An inflammation of the middle ear is accompanied by severe pain in the ear (usually unilateral). Other symptoms such as fever, hearing loss or dizziness can also occur.
An acute and severe onset is therefore more likely to indicate an inflammation of the middle ear and this should be seen by a doctor. Ear pain as a symptom of a cold can occur, for example, if the infection also spreads to the ear trumpet. It is the connecting tube between the middle ear and the nasopharynx.
Here too, the mucous membrane can swell as a result. The Eustachian tube plays an important role in equalizing pressure. However, if the mucous membrane is swollen or blocked with secretions due to the infection, pressure equalization can be difficult.
The positive or negative pressure that now prevails in the ear can also lead to ear pain. The lack of ventilation in the middle ear can also lead to ringing in the ears. However, tinnitus can also occur as part of a middle ear infection or a blocked external auditory canal.
The intensity of the ringing in the ears can vary greatly, but usually subsides after the cold has healed. If a cold is accompanied by nausea as a symptom, there should initially be no need to worry, as this is a natural reaction of the body in the defence process of the viruses, even though it occurs less frequently in normal colds. Cold viruses prefer to attack mucous membranes at the entry ports (e.g. mouth, nose, throat/larynx), whereby an inflammatory process induced by the immune system takes place.
Among other things, the body’s own immune cells release messenger substances (hormones) and inflammation mediators during the defence attempt, some of which are able to irritate the refractive center of the brain stem (area postrema) and thus trigger a feeling of nausea. However, if the nausea gets worse in the course of the disease and further symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhoea are added, this can also be a sign of an (additional) bacterial infection of the gastrointestinal tract and a doctor’s visit should be considered. Hoarseness up to loss of voice occurs regularly in colds with sore throat.
The entire nasopharyngeal region, as well as the throat, is particularly affected by the inflammation. This puts a strain on the mucous membrane, which is why the voice can sound rougher or even disappear completely. In particular, smoking should not be used, as this would be a further, avoidable burden.
In some cases, it is quite possible that, in addition to the classic symptoms of a cold (fever, cough, sore throat, headache, cold), symptoms in the eye area may occur. Especially in the case of infections with adenoviruses, an accompanying conjunctivitis can occur. This can be recognized in particular by the fact that the affected eyes burn and itch, are severely reddened and more light-sensitive and begin to water.
Especially in the morning after getting up, swollen and sticky eyelids may be noticeable, as well as secretion deposits (purulent or watery) in the corners of the eyes. If severe eye pain and impaired vision also occur, these can indicate corneal involvement (keratoconjunctivitis) and a doctor should be consulted immediately. In the case of a simple viral conjunctivitis without corneal involvement, healing usually occurs without consequences.Jaw pains, just like toothache, indicate an inflammation of the sinuses.
Involvement of the sinuses is not untypical in a cold. In response to the infectious agents, the body triggers an inflammation. In the course of this the mucous membrane of the sinuses swells.
The largest of these cavities, the maxillary sinus, borders directly on the upper row of teeth. The inflammation increases the pressure in the maxillary sinus, which also affects the surrounding structures and can cause pain in the upper jaw and also in the teeth. In general, the upper jaw is more frequently affected than the lower jaw.
However, it must be differentiated whether the toothache is the result of inflammatory processes in the paranasal sinuses or whether it is caused by damage to the teeth themselves. If there is already damage to the teeth before a cold, dental defects caused by pathogens that were kept in check by the immune system in the healthy person can appear during a cold. In addition to the frequent symptoms mentioned above, there are also other symptoms that are not typical for a cold but can nevertheless occur in connection with it.
These include back pain, neck pain, kidney pain and abdominal pain. Due to the reaction of the immune system, in a few cases heart palpitations or shortness of breath can also occur. If there is a sinus infection, there may be pain in the face or a feeling of pressure in the head. Very untypical would also be diarrhea. If several untypical symptoms occur, a doctor should be consulted, because it could be a serious infection or other diseases.
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