Transcript The Common Cold

The Common Cold
By Marcus Jeffries and Jessica Bower
Causative Agent
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50% of colds are caused by rhinoviruses
Coronaviruses cause about 20% of colds
10% can be attributed to several other viruses
We build up immunity to these viruses with each
cold, but there are so many different types its hard
for our immune system to keep up
Signs/Symptoms
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The common cold usually brings on a runny nose,
sore throat, and coughing; all of which can last for
two weeks.
Other symptoms include: watery eyes, mild
headache, and mild body aches.
Diagnosis
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The common cold isn't a particularly nasty condition
but some circumstances may arise in which a doctor
should be notified, such as:
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A fever running higher than 100.4°F
Symptoms lasting for more than ten days
Symptoms aren’t relieved by over-the-counter medicines
Treatment
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A vaccine isn’t really possible seeing as how many
variants of the common cold exist. There are over
200 different agents that cause the common cold
(each with different serotypes).
Since the common cold is produced by a virus,
antibiotics are ineffective.
Symptoms can be relieved by cough suppressants
and antihistamines, but this will not help recovery
time
Complications
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Rhino virus it thought to be an airborne virus
Through the air, it can cause infections in the upper
respiratory tract and other complications such as
laryngitis.
It is also thought that the likelihood of obtaining the
rhinovirus increases with the following:
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Colder weather
Close, indoor contact
Psychological changes
Sources
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http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/antibiotic-use/URI/colds.html
http://staff.science.uva.nl/~rhd/r14_ico.GIF
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0815/is_2001_Jan/ai_68277444/
http://bmi.osu.edu/bioinformatics/Coronavirus.jpg
http://www.eslkidstuff.com/images/sneeze.gif