The common cold is a pouring guest on our health. All of us suffer from the common cold several times each year, especially in winter and during the period between seasons.  Because of the common cold we may have lost many days of work as it affects our activity, makes us lazy and tired.

It is time now to win your battle against the common cold. Let us know more about this pouring guest.

Common Cold I.D:
The common cold is a viral infection and there are more than 200 virus cause symptoms of the common cold such as Parainfluenza, Rhinovirus and Corona virus.

Some scientists believe that the common cold virus lives –as a normal body flora- in our noses, as the best incubation temperature for the common cold virus is 90 Fahrenheit, which is the temperature of the nose and the presence of mucous membrane –in the nose- also helps the virus to live.

The scientists who believe that the common cold virus is found as normal flora in the nose support their theory by the evidence that some times the surrounding community is completely free from the common cold virus and by doing accidental change in temperature some people start to show common cold symptoms.

Common Cold and Flu:
There are great similarities between the common cold and flu in symptoms as:

• Mucous buildup in the nose.
• Difficulty in breath through the nose.
• Sneezing.
• Sore throat.
• Cough.
• Headache.

 So how we can differentiate between the common cold and the flu? The flu is always combined with a fever (40C) and it is more dangerous than the common cold. Also the duration of common cold virus is shorter than flu virus.

Transmission of the Common Cold:
Transmission of the common cold is mostly by two ways:

1. Inhalation drops of mucous full of cold germs from the air.
2. If your hands touch something like the telephone which may carry cold germs, then you touch your nose or your eye, the germ will enter your body and you will get the cold.

Management of the Common Cold:
To be honest with you, there is no cure for the common cold virus as we depend on our immune system to kill any viral infection which enters our bodies. So having a strong immune system equals a low possibility to have a viral infection.

Enhancing your immune system:
To enhance your immune system we advise to take a teaspoonful of pure honey in the early morning before breakfast. Honey is a good immune system elevator.

Also, many herbalists advise to take Echinacea (cone flower) as they consider it as the most powerful immune stimulant. Nigella sativa which is well known in the Arab world as (habet albaraka) is also good as an immune enhancer.

 Treatment of the common cold symptoms:

1. Rest in bed, especially in first day you feel that you have cold.
2. Drink plenty of fluids and warm drinks.
3. Gargle with warm salted tea –as tannic acid found in tea precipitate protein of germs in the throat and salt solution has a disinfectant action.