Common cold

Cold

Lady with cold

Adults can get 2–4 colds per year
Image: Shutterstock.com

Anyone can get a cold at any time and they are very common:

  • children can get about 5–10 colds per year
  • adults can get 2–4 colds per year
  • children get more colds than adults because they are not immune to as many cold viruses as adults are.

Colds are caused by a virus. There are about 200 different viruses that can cause a cold and each one is slightly different. That is why you can get one cold after another. Once your immune system has fought off an infection with one particular cold virus, you will be immune to that virus. The cold is also called acute viral rhinosinusitis.

Find out about the medicines and treatments for relieving the symptoms of a cold.

The common cold is not the same as flu (influenza). Flu is caused by a completely different virus (influenza virus A or B), and has much more severe symptoms. However the cold virus can still make you feel unwell and is usually more than just a runny nose.

Latest information - common cold

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What are the medicines and treatments for a cold?
(Condition)
10 May 2013 – Read about why antibiotics are not prescribed for colds and learn about different medicines available to relieve cold symptoms, including paracetamol, decongestants & nasal sprays, & useful tips to relieve cold symptoms.
Cough medicines
(Medicine)
03 May 2013 – Learn about over-the-counter cough medicines, including who should not take them, their side effects and effectiveness.
Join the fight against antibiotic resistance
(Topic)
21 Dec 2012 – Overuse and misuse of antibiotics has made it harder to treat many bacterial infections. NPS is asking all Australians to become ‘resistance fighters’ and join in the fight against antibiotic resistance.
Combination cough and cold medicines
(Medicine)
05 Dec 2012 – Learn about over-the-counter combination cough and cold medicines, including who shouldn’t take them, their side effects and effectiveness.
National Consumer Survey No. 5: Executive summary
(Corporate information)
27 Nov 2012 – Current research projects and partnerships aimed at building a body of evidence for promoting good prescribing and quality use of medicines.
What are the symptoms of a cold?
(Condition)
23 Aug 2012 – Symptoms of the common cold include a sore throat, cough & sneezing. Read more about the symptoms of cold & how long the infection lasts for.
How is a cold diagnosed?
(Condition)
23 Aug 2012 – If you have a cold, it's usually not necessary to see a doctor for a diagnosis. However, there are some exceptions, for example if you are asthmatic or diabetic. Read more here.
Preventing the common cold
(Condition)
23 Aug 2012 – If you don't want to catch a common cold, good hygiene is the key. Read more about preventing colds & other respiratory tract infections (RTIs).
Cough and cold medicines
(Medicine)
23 Aug 2012 – Learn about over-the-counter cough & cold medicines, including who should not take them, side effects & their effectiveness.
Antibiotics Reminder app
(Tool / resource)
15 Jun 2012 – Use our free antibiotics reminder iPhone app to help you keep track of your medicines and use them safely and effectively.
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