Cold also referred to as common cold is the infection of the upper respiratory tract specifically the nose and throat usually characterized by runny nose, sore throat, cough, watery eyes, sneezing, and nasal congestion – other cases involves all of the mentioned conditions.

Unfortunately, there is no known cure for the common cold; however you can get temporary relief from the symptoms associated with the condition by complete bed rest, drinking lots of fluids, and using petroleum jelly for raw nose. If there is slight fever, it would be helpful to take paracetamol to reduce the temperature. Itchy and sore throat can be relieved by gargling warm salt water or using lozenges.

One to three days after exposure to the virus that causes cold the following will start to appear: runny or stuffy nose with watery discharge, cough, and nose congestion, itchy throat sometimes with harsh voice, sneezing, watery eyes, slight fever, slight body weakness, slight body aches, and loss of appetite.

The most common cause of cold is the rhinovirus, which is very contagious; spread through droplets in the air when someone infected with a cold sneezes, coughs or talks. It can also be transmitted through hand-to-hand contact with someone who has a cold.