Stages of a cold in humans – Colds, also known as nasopharyngitis, rhinopharyngitis, acute coriza, or common cold, is an infectious disease caused by a virus in the respiratory tract that primarily attacks the nose.
A cold is a mild infection in the nose, sinus tract, throat, and upper respiratory tract due to virus attacks. Colds can be experienced by anyone, from children to older people.
Symptoms of colds.
Someone who is sick with colds may experience symptoms such as:
- The nose is continually snot.
- Frequent sneezing.
- Frequent coughing.
- Breathing is not smooth (the nose feels clogged.).
- Malaise.
- Hoarseness.
Causes of a cold
Colds due to infection can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi. Hence, allergic colds are usually caused by inhalant allergens, such as house dust mites, cockroaches, cat fur, dog fur, pollen, grass, and fungi. Food allergies, such as cow’s milk, eggs, chocolate, fish, shrimp, crab, and beans can also be a trigger. In the meantime, a cold due to the irritation of the cause are dust and air pollution.
Read also: How to prevent cold and flu naturally.
Stages of a cold
Everyone can get colds all the time, at least two to three times a year. However, colds are most often occurs in the winter or rainy season. This is because most of the cold viruses easily thrive in low temperature (cold) and dry air.
Incubation period of the virus that cause of a cold usually lasts 2-3 days. The incubation period is the time needed by the virus to cause symptoms after it infects the body. Most sufferers will experience symptoms of severe colds and very annoying after 2-3 days of emergence (after the incubation period). To make it more clear, please see the stages below.
- The virus enters
- Incubation (2-3 days)
- Symptoms appear
- Peak severity of symptoms (2-3 days)
- Symptoms gradually recover until complete recovery (time varies).
Colds will usually heal by itself within 4 to 10 days without treatment. Fast or short term cold, depending on the strength of the immune.
However, at the colds caused by allergies or called with allergic rhinitis, the symptoms of a cold in the form of a stuffy nose can last more than four weeks.
Cold Transmission.
Common cold transmitted through droplets or water droplets from coughing or sneezing by sufferers. This droplet will then be stuck to various surfaces such as tables, clothes, door handles, and other objects. When a person touches the surfaces and then touching the nose, mouth, or eyes, then the virus will move goes into the body.
The fastest transmission occurs in two to four days after you are first exposed to the viruses of colds. Therefore, you are advised to rest at home in order not to infect others.
Read also: How to get rid of a cold and cough overnight.
Children’s cold.
Symptoms of cold in child
Sneezing, sore throat, and coughing can be an early symptom of the disease of colds in children. Though not a serious illness, this disease often makes parents worry.
The cause of the common cold in children.
Cold or common cold is an upper respiratory tract infection. Except in the newborn, colds in healthy children is generally not dangerous. There are more than 200 viruses that can cause the children to get colds, but the rhinovirus is the most common cause. So the antibiotics designed to fight bacteria, will not relieve a cough in children.
Stages of a cold in child
Coughs and colds in children can last for 4 — 7 days, while gradually recovering, snot become colored (from clear, yellow, and green).
When the child’s mucus yellowish, the analogy is that the child’s immune system has resisted infection.
The description, in this stage, there has been a “battle” between the antibodies and disease.
If the snot is green, usually parents will panic because the green snot is regarded as a sign that the cold has a worsening cold.
In fact, that assumption is incorrect. Thus the green snot is a sign of the immunity of the body of the child has won a “battle” with the cause of the infection.
This means, the children will get well soon and come back healthy, not runny again.
Guidelines to determine if green mucus is a sign of healing or worsening is take a look at changes in other symptoms!
Along with the child’s snot is green, the fever goes down, the child becomes more active, appetite good returns, and coughing is reduced. The foregoing indicates that the disease gradually healed.
However, green snot should be worried if accompanied by a fever of more than 2 weeks.
