What Causes the Common Cold? Myths, Facts and Theories

A virus causes the common cold. This is a fact, but why some people develop symptoms and others do not is unknown. There are only theories. No one knows why the common cold duration is longer in some people than in others. Again, there are theories, but no one really knows.

Although a virus that causes the common cold cannot reproduce outside of the human body, it can live on the skin and other surfaces for as long as three hours. These viruses become airborne when an infected person sneezes and to a lesser extent when he or she coughs. The next person becomes infected when he or she inhales the airborne secretions or touches the face after touching an infected person or a surface that they touched. Common cold duration can be as short as two days or as long as two weeks.

Researchers have made some attempts to understand the differences in common cold duration among otherwise healthy people, but there is still no clear understanding of why this occurs. The average adult has two to four colds per year, but some people have less and others have more, according to information provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. School age children may have as many as 12 colds per year and their caregivers typically have more colds than their fair share. Asthma sufferers have more colds than the average person and in these people the virus often leads to hospitalization by aggravating their chronic condition. A recent study showed that those people who have asthma produce fewer anti-viral proteins than the average person, possibly indicating that immune system function is a factor.

It is believed that close contact among school age children causes the common cold spread and frequency among them. Some emphasis has been placed on educating children about the importance of hand washing and covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 22 million school days are lost annually to common cold. A recent study in Turkey indicates that zinc supplementation can reduce common cold duration in children and is safe and well tolerated. The results of this double blind placebo-controlled study showed that those children who received the zinc supplements as a treatment missed a little less time at school than those who received the placebo and that when used as a preventative children developed a significantly lower number of colds.

Unlike the zinc nasal sprays that can cause a permanent loss of the sense of smell in some people, zinc supplements appear to be safe. Zinc is an essential mineral for proper immune system function and overall good health. The average diet may not provide adequate amounts of zinc, thus daily supplementation is a good idea.

Myths about what causes the common cold include getting overheated or chilled. Researchers have studied the affects of cold weather on common cold duration and frequency. Those people who live in colder climates do not appear to have more than the average number of colds per year, nor does common cold duration appear to be longer.

If weather plays a role, it is believed that spending more time inside, where you can be exposed to more people who are infected (such as a school), is more relevant than the outdoor temperature. Studies of a virus that causes the common cold have shown that the virus is more active in lower humidity. But whether the weather is hot and humid or cold and dry, studies indicate that if a person is exposed to a virus that causes the common cold, he/she will become infected 95% of the time and develop symptoms 75% of the time.

For more information about the common cold, influenza and other viruses, as well as information about natural products that can reduce common cold duration and support healthy immune system function, visit www.immune-system-booster-guide.com.

Patsy Hamilton has more than twenty years experience as a health care professional and currently writes informational articles for the Immune System Booster Guide. To learn more, visit http://www.immune-system-booster-guide.com.

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