The Common Cold and Your Overall Health

You may not think the common cold is a serious condition, but it can have some severe effects. Often, the symptoms of a cold are minor and pass in a week or less. You may be able to carry on with normal activities with few interruptions because of a cold. However, there are instances when a cold can cause more issues. Your overall health can suffer in various ways after catching a cold.

An overview of the common cold

Young children, teens, adults, and the elderly alike can catch a cold. It is the most frequent illness a person will encounter. Typically, one of three viruses causes a cold. It spreads from person to person through close contact by touch or droplets from coughing and sneezing. Babies and toddlers get several colds a year, while adults get two to four annually on average.

Cold symptoms can range widely, but most people will experience coughing and sneezing. A sore throat, runny and stuffy nose, and congestion are likely. Some people get a cold and develop a low fever. Other people may have a headache. Other symptoms can include chills or body aches. Most people recover from a cold in seven to 10 days, though it can last longer.

Ear infections

Earaches do not usually come directly with the common cold. However, the same virus that causes a cold can spread to the middle ear and cause infections there. An ear infection is most common in babies and toddlers. It brings with it fevers that can climb to the 103- to 105-degree range. Without treatment, an ear infection can cause the eardrum to burst. The infection can also spread.

Strep throat

Again, the same common cold-causing virus can lead to problems in the throat too. Strep throat is a bacterial infection that affects the throat and tonsils. It can make it painful to eat and swallow. A person with strep throat may develop a fever and have swollen lymph nodes in the neck. A rarer effect of this illness includes complications with the heart and kidneys.

Pneumonia

Untreated, the common cold can lead to pneumonia. This infection inflames the air sacs in one or both of the lungs. The sacs can fill with fluid and pus, making it painful or difficult to breathe. Oxygen may not be able to effectively get to the bloodstream either. A person with this condition may have chest pain or a fever. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are also possible symptoms.