Ruth King, age, %, of Billings, Mont., for her question:
WHAT CAUSES THE COMMON COLD?
Your common cold, which is one of a number of infections of the respiratory tract, is the most widespread and prevalent of all diseases. It is caused by a germ called a virus.
While most diseases are caused by one or a few specific viruses, the common cold may result from perhaps a hundred different viruses. Infections can vary in severity from the mild cold without fever to extensive pneumonia.
Doctors do not know all the ways in which cold germs spread. But they believe that a person can get a cold by breathing in the germs. Whenever a person with a cold coughs or sneezes, tiny droplets of moisture that contain cold germs spray into the air. Anyone who breathes the air can catch the cold.
Colds seem to spread most rapidly in places where many persons gather, such as in schools, theaters or buses.
Colds are the major cause of absenteeism among schoolchildren, and industrial and professional groups. It has been estimated that the yearly cost of colds in the United States and Canada is more than $5 billion. This includes time lost from work, wages lost and the cost of treating colds and their complications.
Children, and particularly preschool youngsters, seem to be most susceptible to colds. More than 30 million illnesses each year are found in American children of preschool age.
Colds are infections of the mucous membranes of the nose, throat and, sometimes, of the air passages and lungs. When a person has a cold, his nose usually becomes stuffy and he has trouble breathing. Sometimes the infection spreads to the ears and sinuses. Other times it may spread to the throat and cause soreness and hoarseness.
The simplest types of colds usually last only one or two days. More severe colds may last longer, often causing fever and aches and pains throughout the body.
Doctors say there are no specific treatments for colds. But sometimes they prescribe drugs to relieve the discomforts caused by cold symptoms.
A cold patient who has a fever should stay in bed. This provides rest and isolates the patient from other persons.
Persons with colds should eat soft, nourishing foods. They should drink plenty of fluids such as fruit juices or plain water.
If cold symptoms persist or seem to get worse, a doctor should be called. If complications begin to develop, a doctor will then be able to treat them early. Often he will prescribe sulfa drugs and antibiotics to control complications.
Doctors do not know why some people seem to be more susceptible to colds than others. But they believe that certain conditions make it easier for people to catch colds. These conditions include chilling, overheating, exhaustion and nervous fatigue.