COMMON COLD (RHINITIS)

NAME STUDENT ID
ABITON MACHUTA 095118
SHADRECK 102877
CHANDA
MASUMBA 102399
MWANZA
NJOVU YUSUF 103875
MWANSA MELINDA 102280
VERONICA MUTI 104147
SALIYA ZYANGWA 102655
 Introduction
Common cold is a prevalent respiratory illness that affects the upper
respiratory tract. It is caused by a virus called rhinovirus though
other viral agents such as corona virus and adeno virus contribute to
its incidence . The upper respiratory tract is made up of throat , sinus
,throat etc.
 Causes

 Rhinovirus :This is the main viral agent that causes common cold. This
virus has small, single stranded RNA which has diverse range of
serotypes making it hard to develop a universal vaccine

 Corona virus and adenovirus: These also contribute though they are

not the main causative agents.

Pathogenesis
 Symptoms / clinical manifestations
Early symptoms;

 Sore throat

 Nasal congestion

 Sneezing

 Runny nose

Late symptoms;

As the infection progresses, a patient may experience the following;

 Swelling
 Fatigue
 Rash
 Pain
 Heart rate
 Respiratory rate
 Diagnosis and complications
Diagnosis is simply establishing the nature of the disease. This is based

on clinical assessment of the following upper respiratory symptoms;

 Runny nose (Rhinorrhea)

 Sneezing

 Dry cough

 Absence of high fever

Note : Laboratory tests are not routinely required to diagnose

 Complications
 Sinus infection

 Pneumonia

 Asthma

 Otitis media
 Transmission

 Person to person

 Airborne

 Hand contact

 Aerosol ( large and small droplets)

 Formites (desks, tables)

 Prevention

 Washing hands frequently

 Avoid touching your face because cold viruses spread from the hands
to the eyes, nose and mouth

 Cleaning used surfaces frequently

 Treatment
There is no cure for common cold but home remedies can result into healing.

Home remedies;

 Getting enough rest

 Taking a lot of fluids

 Saline nasal suctioning drug to relieve nasal congestion

 Take warm salt water for sore throat

 Over-the-counter substances such as Ibuprofen

 Control

 Public health campaigns that promote hand hygiene and

respiratory etiquette

 Staying home when ill to reduce the spread of the virus

 Targeted interventions in healthcare settings can help

prevent outbreaks among vulnerable populations