Immunization-Schedule.com

The common cold is just a manifestation of symptoms rather than being a disease.The common cold symptoms are caused by many different but almost harmless viruses mostly rhinovirus against which the body is capable to defend itself with no medication.

In fact, the cold symptoms like a runny and/or stuffed nose, fever etc are the means the body uses to fight against the virus. As soon as a virus enters our nasal cavity, the body rushes fluids in the nose to flush out the intruder. Sneezing helps to throw out the virus or a particle in the nose that might be causing irritation. If the virus, that multiplies very quickly, still does not get cleaned up, the body rushes mucus to the nasal cavity. The mucus contains the white blood cells that help to kill the virus. Thats the reason you have a stuffed nose after a having a runny nose for sometime. The body's immune system raises the temperature of the body a little because the viruses cannot survive in higher temperatures.

When you take medicines to suppress the symptoms of the common cold, you infact suppress the capability of the body to fight against the virus. That is the reason it takes longer to get rid of the cold if any medication is taken!

I think you raised a good question and I really did wonder why was there no cure for the common cold which is so common? I never realized the common cold is not a disease! But I still wonder: if rhinovirus is the common cause of the common cold, at least there should be vaccine for that - similar to a flu vaccine which includes all available strains of the flu viruses!!

A vaccine is used to create immunity that the body lacks against new viruses. For the common cold, the body already has the necessary immunity and hence no vaccine is needed even for the rhinoviruses!

People who catch common cold very often should boost their immune system by eating foods and fruits rich in vitamin C, or by taking vitamin C supplements. Exercise and adequate sleep also help to boost immunity which can easily control common cold!