FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN
By John C. Wolf, D.O.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine®
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

CORYZA, URI? A COLD BY ANY OTHER NAME IS STILL A COMMON NUISANCE

Question: I'm familiar with the general principles of getting plenty of rest, hand washing, eating fruits and vegetables, taking vitamin C and antioxidants for preventing the common cold. Can you give me additional information about colds? This would be particularly appreciated because my children and I seem to have them all winter long.

The common cold is certainly a significant health problem. Having a "cold" is the most frequent cause for missing days of work or school and, consequently, one of the most common reasons for seeing the doctor. Besides making the sufferer miserable, it has consequences for our society. It results in great loss of work productivity -- amounting to seven workdays per person per year. The degree of absenteeism due to colds among school children is even greater.

As you may know, the common cold is caused by a viral infection of the tissues lining the nose, throat and upper bronchial tree -- collectively called the upper respiratory tract. Consequently, doctors often call a "cold" a URI, short for upper respiratory infection. Doctors even occasionally apply the more obscure term "coryza" when obfuscation is the objective.

There are a number of specific types of viruses that cause colds and even a few bacteria that cause symptoms similar to URIs. Fortunately, the human body has several defense mechanisms for dealing with these threats. The coughing and sneezing that accompany a URI are part of the defense plan. These expel infected mucus and keep it from blocking the respiratory passages. There are other defenses in the immune system that are effective at limiting a cold to its characteristic nuisance symptoms for almost all of us, but it takes a little time for them to mount an effective attack against the germ enemy -- typically five to seven days. 

As you have noticed, having one cold doesn't give immunity against the next one. With more than 110 distinct types of Rhinovirus, it's nearly impossible to develop immunity to them all. Further, there are other viruses, in addition to the Rhinovirus, that can cause the common cold. With so many cold-producing viruses, it's not surprising that school-age children often have one cold after another and then bring them home to share with the family. This sounds like your household to me.

Medical researchers are looking for medicines that will prevent a cold or at least hasten recovery from one, but no such wondrous product has been found so far. Consequently, the best preventive measures include frequent hand washing, just as you mentioned. This removes the infectious cold viruses you may have picked up on your hands. It is also important to avoid touching the nose, mouth and face, since these are the places where the cold virus gains entry into the body.

The use of vitamin C and the mineral zinc have been publicly acclaimed for their cold-fighting abilities. Despite the general enthusiasm of the public for these products, there is little scientific evidence that they help at all. Fortunately they are safe, so you can use them if you want too. Adequate rest and low levels of emotional stress do reduce colds. This occurs because of the complex interrelationship between the emotions and the body's immune system. Understanding this concept is much easier than actually either eliminating the events that cause stress or changing our response to them.

So, I'd suggest that you keep a supply of Tylenol, decongestants and Kleenex on hand. Colds will be with us for the foreseeable future.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to John C. Wolf, D.O., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Grosvenor Hall, Athens, Ohio 45701.