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Common cold Q&As

Published by Bupa's health information team, March 2009.

Answers to questions about common colds

This section contains answers to common questions about this topic. Questions have been suggested by health professionals, website feedback and requests via email.

 

Why isn't there a cure for the common cold?

There isn't a cure for the common cold because it's difficult to produce a vaccine or medicine that protects against all the different types of cold viruses. A cold is a short-lived, mild infection with no serious complications. There are many other diseases or conditions that are more serious which need treatments to be produced.

Explanation

Each year, you may have a few colds. This is because there are many different viruses that cause a cold. At least seven different types of viruses can cause the common cold. The rhinovirus is the most common and there are more than 100 different subtypes of this virus and new ones can develop.

Other viruses that can give you a cold include corona viruses, adenoviruses and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This means that even if your body develops immunity to one type of virus, a different one may give you another cold. This is why a vaccine or medicines to prevent a cold aren't available.

There are things you can do to help relieve your symptoms. Getting plenty of rest, having hot drinks and sucking menthol sweets may help you feel better. You can also buy cold remedies from a pharmacy. Always check with your pharmacist that they are suitable for you and read the information leaflet that comes with the medicine.

Antibiotics are used to help your immune system fight bacterial infections but aren't effective in treating viral infections like a cold.

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Is there anything I can do to reduce my chances of getting a cold?

You can't completely prevent getting a cold but basic hygiene measures, such as hand washing and staying away from people with colds, may help prevent them spreading.

Explanation

If you pick up a cold virus from a surface or by being in close contact with someone who has the virus and then touch your own nose or eyes, the virus will grow in this warm, moist environment and multiply (produce copies of itself).

Likewise, if you have a cold and you touch your nose or cough into your hand you can easily spread the virus. Particularly if you touch things, such as a door handle or shopping trolley, for example, that other people then come into contact with.

You should practice good hygiene to prevent getting an infection and passing one on. You can do this by:

  • trying not to come into contact with people who have a cold and limiting the people you see if you have one
  • washing your hands frequently with soap and hot water when you come into contact with someone who has cold symptoms, or if you touch your nose, cough or sneeze into your hand when you have a cold
  • not sharing towels with someone who has, or if you have, the symptoms of a cold

If you have a child, you should prevent him or her sharing toys with another child who has a cold. If he or she has a cold, wash toys with soapy water after use.

Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly will help you to maintain a healthy immune system which helps your body fight infection.

There is no evidence to suggest that vitamin or mineral supplements are effective in preventing a cold.

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How do I prevent getting a summer cold?

There isn't a proven way to prevent you getting a summer cold, but there are some things you can do to help reduce your risk of catching one. And it's possible that what you think is a summer cold isn't a cold at all but hay fever. If your main symptoms are sneezing and a runny nose - perhaps with runny eyes - you may have hay fever.

Explanation

Although it's called a "cold", you can still get a common cold in the summer or when you're on holiday abroad. There are around 200 viruses that cause the common cold. You can catch a cold by coming into contact with someone who already has it, for example if you shake hands with someone with a cold. You can also catch it if you touch an object, such as a door handle, contaminated with the cold virus and then touch your mouth, nose or eyes. The common cold can be spread through droplets in the air from sneezing and coughing.

The best way to prevent colds during the summer is to stay away from crowded places, because you're much more likely to catch a cold if you're near to someone else who has it. This probably won't be possible - if you commute to work by train or if you're on a long-haul flight for your summer holiday, you just can't avoid those crowds. But what you can do is try not to touch your mouth, nose or eyes while you're travelling and wash your hands before you eat.

It's been shown that people who have an active lifestyle are less likely to catch a cold. So, it's a good idea to fit some exercise into your daily routine. It's recommended that we all do at least 30 minutes of exercise, five times a week. That might sound like a lot, but everyday activities such as gardening, cleaning, walking to the shops or cycling to work count too.

Try to keep your stress levels in check as well. Preparing for a holiday can be stressful, and this can affect your immune system, increasing your likelihood of catching a cold just as you're ready to have time off to relax.

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Will taking vitamin C supplements stop me getting a cold?

It's widely believed that vitamin C supplements help prevent colds, but research doesn't support this.

Explanation

The research evidence on vitamin C supplements and colds was recently reviewed by the Cochrane Collaboration, a respected body that assesses scientific research. The results of this review question whether vitamin C helps prevent colds.

Assessing a group of trials involving over 11,000 people, they found that regularly taking vitamin C doesn't reduce the risk of catching the common cold.

Vitamin C may reduce the duration of a cold, but only by eight percent in adults. Put in context, the average 12 days of illness a year due to the common cold is reduced to 11.

However, for people under extreme physical stress, such as marathon runners or skiers, taking vitamin C halves the amount of time a cold will last. Vitamin C supplements also reduce the risk of this group of people catching a cold.

But for most people, the researchers say, it isn't worthwhile taking vitamin C supplements to avoid the sniffles.

Sources

  • Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Collaboration. 2007, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD000980. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000980.pub3. www.cochrane.org
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Should I exercise if I have a cold?

The general advice is to stay as active as you can without making yourself feel uncomfortable. However, you should check with your doctor before exercising if you have asthma as well as a cold.

Explanation

Having an active lifestyle can help reduce your risk of getting a cold in the first place. But how about exercising when you already have a cold?

If you have asthma, don't start exercising while you have a cold without checking with your doctor first.

For people who don't have asthma, at the moment there isn't enough research to say whether exercising helps or hinders the recovery from a cold. It's important to be guided by how you feel. Whether you should exercise depends on the severity of your cold symptoms, whether you have any other medical conditions and the intensity of the exercise you're going to do. Also bear in mind that some cold medicines might make you drowsy.

If you do decide to exercise, you shouldn't expect too much from yourself. Bear in mind that your body is fighting off an infection, so don't be disappointed if you can't run as fast or lift as much weight as you could before your cold started. Once you've fully recovered from your cold, you should be able to get back on form again fairly quickly. It's important that you take enough time to recover after doing intensive exercise.

It's not usually a problem for most of us, but people who do extremely strenuous exercise, such as running a marathon, are at an increased risk of getting a cold. The effect is less if you train within your limits. If you 'over train' you may depress your immune system temporarily.

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Publication date: March 2009

 

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