Common cold

Cold is a self-limited medical condition that is typically contagious on the first two to three days. It frequently causes runny nose, sneezing and nasal congestion.Most patients experience symptoms for only one to two weeks. ^{[1] [2]}

Epidemiology

A child’s immune system is less developed than that of adults making them more susceptible to colds. Women are more commonly affected. ^[3]

Causes

More than 200 types of viruses have been found that can cause cold. The most common is called rhinovirus. It can be spread thru air droplets when the infected individual talks, sneezes or coughs. Moreover, hand-to-hand contact with the person or by sharing his contaminated objects is another way of transmitting the virus. Colds are more common during cold season. ^{[1] [2] [4]}

Signs and Symptoms

The symptoms can be felt as early as two days after the virus enters the body. Common symptoms are stuffy nose, itchy throat, sneezing and nasal congestion. Young children may have fever. The infected person may also have headache, muscle aches, postnasal drip, scratchy throat, decreased appetite and watery eyes. Over time, the nasal discharge may become thickened and become yellowish or greenish. Usually, symptoms vanish in a span of week although these symptoms can be present up to 14 days. ^{[1] [2] [4]}

Diagnosis

Common cold is often confused with influenza. The latter typically is more severe. Medical history and physical exam are usually enough to make a diagnosis of cold. ^[4]

Treatment

Cold resolves spontaneously. Antibiotics are not needed since these drugs fight against bacteria while viruses are the causative organisms in colds. If there is a superimposed bacterial infection, then antibiotics are prescribed. Over-the-counter cold preparations are generally unnecessary since they just give unwanted side effects. Most patients just need to have plenty of rest and fluid. Aspirin should not be given to children or teenagers as it may cause a serious condition called Reye’s syndrome.  If symptoms do not improve in 7 to 10 days, a visit to a doctor may be needed as cold may lead to complications like bronchitis, ear infection, sinusitis and pneumonia. ^{[1] [4]}

 

References:

1.      http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000678.htm

2.      http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/common-cold/DS00056

3.      http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cold-common/Pages/Introduction.aspx

4.      http://www.medicinenet.com/common_cold/article.htm

 

 

Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:

Tea Tree Oil [1, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It is proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present. WARNING: Tea Tree Oil is not recommended for children, pregnant women or mothers that are breastfeeding.

Recommendation: No recommendation (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that tea tree oil is effective in treating colds)

Grade of Evidence: Low quality of evidence

Peppermint Oil [1, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: No recommendation (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that peppermint helps to treat colds)

Grade of Evidence: Very low quality of evidence

Megavitamin Therapy (Multivitamin, Vitamin Supplements) [1, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40]:

Please Note that while supplements are effective in correcting deficiencies in the body, their long-term usage is not helpful in preventing diseases like cancer and heart disease. To prevent these illnesses one should eat the natural foods which these vitamins and minerals come from. Replacing natural sources with artificial supplements actually increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. Supplements should be taken only as a balanced multivitamin supplement that contains no more than 100% of the recommended daily allowance. It would be most helpful in people with restricted food intakes, pregnant women and women of childbearing age.

Recommendation: Weakly against. (There is no evidence that Megavitamin therapy can prevent or treat colds. In fact, long term therapy can lead to increased risk for other diseases)

Grade of Evidence: Moderate quality of evidence

Larch (Larix Occidentalis)  [1, 31, 32, 33, 34]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: No recommendation (Although approved for external use in Germany, available evidence does not support claims that Larch helps to treat colds)

Grade of Evidence: Low quality of evidence

Kava (Piper Methysticum) [1, 27, 28, 29, 30]:

WARNING: In rare cases, kava may lead to liver failure and other life threatening problems. The FDA warns that those who have had liver problems, or are on medicacations which may affect the liver, patients should check with their doctors before taking Kava. Other side effects include headache, upset stomach, drowsiness, weight loss, bloody urine, and muscle weakness.

Recommendation: No recommendation (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that Kava helps to treat colds. More research is needed)

Grade of Evidence: Very low quality of evidence

Gotu Kola (Centella Asiatica, Hydrocotyle Asiatica)[1, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: No recommendation (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that Gotu Kola helps in the treatment of colds in any way. More research is needed.)

Grade of Evidence: Low quality of evidence

Goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis) [1, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: Weakly against (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that Goldenseal helps to treat colds. More studies are needed. Goldenseal may produce toxic effects, including depression, constipation, rapid heartbeat, stomach pain, mouth ulcers and vomiting.)

Grade of Evidence: Low quality of evidence

Ginger  [1, 10, 11, 12]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: No recommendation (Research regarding claims that ginger helps treat colds has yielded mixed results)

Grade of Evidence: Low quality of evidence

Echinacea Purpurea [6, 7, 8, 9]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: No recommendation  (Evidence has shown that Echinacea has no effect in the treatment or prevention of colds)

Grade of Evidence: Moderate quality of evidence

Cloves (Caryophyllum Aromaticum, Eugenia Caryophyllata) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]:

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: No recommendation  (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that Cloves help to treat colds in any way)

Grade of Evidence: Very low quality of evidence

Astragalus (Astragalus Membranaceus):

Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It is proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.

Recommendation: Weakly in favor (Current evidence suggests that Astragalus helps improve immune function and reduce length of colds)

Grade of Evidence: Low quality of evidence

Vitamin C [57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64]:

Recommendation: Strongly in favor (Studies show that vitamin C may be beneficial to those that have colds)

Grade of Evidence: Moderate quality of evidence

* www.gradeworkinggroup.org
 

 

Summary References

Treatments:

1. Ades T, Alteri R, Gansler T, Yeargin P, "Complete Guide to Complimentary & Alternative Cancer Therapies", American Cancer Society, Atlanta USA, 2009

2. Balch, Phyllis and Balch, James. Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 3rd ed., Avery Publishing, ©2000, pg. 94.

3. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, Third Edition by Dan Bensky, Steven Clavey, Erich Stoger, and Andrew Gamble 2004

4. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/cloves

5. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-clove.html

6. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/echinacea

7. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/echinacea/ataglance.htm

8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16049208

9. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/29145.php

10. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/ginger

11. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-ginger.html

12. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10793599

13. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/goldenseal

14. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/goldenseal/

15. Tierra Michael (1998): The Way of Herbs. New York, Pocket Books

16. Grieve M. (1971): A Modern Herbal. New York, Dover Publications, Inc

18. Mills S. and Bone K. (2000): Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. Philadelphia, Churchill Livingstone

19. Tice Raymond (1997): Goldenseal and Two of its constituent alkaloids: berberine and hydrastine Research Triangle Park, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, in Seiger E: Review of Toxilogical Literature

20. http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/ellingwood/hydrastis.html

21. Winston, D., Maimes, S., Adaptogens: Herbs For Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief, 2007, pp. 226-7

22. "A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study on the Effects of Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) on Acoustic Startle Response in Healthy Subjects". Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. 20(6):680-684, December 2000. Bradwejn, Jacques MD, FRCPC *; Zhou, Yueping MD, PhD ++; Koszycki, Diana PhD *; Shlik, Jakov MD, PhD

23.  B. M. Hausen (1993) "Centella asiatica (Indian pennywort), an effective therapeutic but a weak sensitizer." Contact Dermatitis 29 (4), 175–179 doi:10.1111/j.1600-0536.1993.tb03532.x

24. Cataldo, A., Gasbarro, V., et al., "Effectiveness of the Combination of Alpha Tocopherol, Rutin, Melilotus, and Centella asiatica in The Treatment of Patients With Chronic Venous Insufficiency", Minerva Cardioangiology, 2001, Apr; 49(2):159-63

25. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotu_kola#Medicinal_effects

26. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/gotu-kola

27. http://www.publish.csiro.au/?act=view_file&file_id=SP05005.pdf

28. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/kava

29. http://www.kavazen.com/pages/library.htm#KavaZen and Kava Safety

30. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/kava/index.htm

31. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/larch

32. http://www.dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/plants/lichen.html

33. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Austin, TX: American Botanical Council; 1998.

34. Bown D. New Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses. New York, NY: DK Publishing Inc; 2001.

35. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/orthomolecular-medicine

36. http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/163/2/192.pdf

37. http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/ortho.html

38. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/72/5/707

39. http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/no-index/about-ama/13638.shtml

40. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17327526

41. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/peppermint

42. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17420159

43. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19507027

44. http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/alternat/AT022.html

45. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-peppermint.html

46. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/peppermintoil/index.htm

47. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/tea-tree-oil

48. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-teatreeoil.html

49. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18816275

50. http://bastyrcenter.org/content/view/972/&page=

51. http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/62/4/769?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=staphaseptic&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT

52. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2145499

53. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9055360

54. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12451368

55. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9848442

56. Bishop, C.D. (1995). "Anti-viral Activity of the Essential Oil of Melaleuca alternifolia". Journal of Essential Oil Research: 641–644

57. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23440782

58. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1795409/

59. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15495002

60. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1547201

61. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9059230

62. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17636648

63. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002145.htm

64. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10796569