Common Cold in Older Children and Adults Essay

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Pharmacotherapy for Respiratory Disorders

Common Cold in Older Children and Adults

Common cold defined, and drugs that would be prescribed to patients to treat its associated symptoms.

Definition

Common cold (medical name- viral upper respiratory tract infection) represents a contagious, self-limited illness triggered by various kinds of viruses. Other widely implicated viruses are para influenza, coronavirus, and adenovirus. Due to the constant development of novel cold viruses and the fact that a large number of diverse viruses may end up causing common cold, the human body can never develop resistance against each and every one of them, thereby making colds a common, recurrent issue (Blenkinsopp et al. 2013). In fact, it is the world’s most commonly occurring ailment and the main cause of school/work nonattendance and physician visits. US residents reportedly suffer roughly one billion colds yearly; annual school nonattendance due to colds stands at around twenty-two million days.

Transmission

Common colds are transmitted either through direct contact of disease-ridden secretions from infected surfaces or through inhalation of airborne viruses when affected persons cough or sneeze. Transmission from one individual to another typically occurs when the ailing individual touches or blows his/her nose followed by touching some other surface, object or individual (Ackerman, 2010).

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A healthy person who unfortunately ends up directly touching that surface or object consequently gets infected, usually following contact of their infected hands with their mouth, eyes, or nose. Generally, common colds spread anywhere between a couple of days prior to symptom emergence and complete cure. But it is largely at its most transmissible stage in the first 2-3 days of falling ill.

Signs and symptoms

Common cold’s symptoms and signs usually start emerging 2-3 days following infection development (which is known as the incubation period); however, this can vary based on what kind of virus has caused the cold. Further, the disease is most highly contagious in the first 2-3 days of emergence of symptoms. Typical signs and symptoms are: runny or stuffy nose, scratchy or sore throat, hoarseness, watery eyes, coughing, sneezing, earache, headache, appetite loss and body ache (Blenkinsopp et al. 2013).

Treatment

Adults and older children who develop common cold may be treated using widely-sold over-the-counter medication like throat lozenges, cough syrups, throat sprays, and cough drops. However, this can neither prevent nor reduce illness duration. Gargling using warm saltwater can provide….....

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