Presentation on Pharmaceutical microbiology Common cold www Assignment

Presentation on Pharmaceutical microbiology Common cold www. Assignment. Point. com

Common cold • Definition: • The common cold (also known as nasopharyngitis, rhinopharyngitis, acute coryza, or a cold) is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system which affects primarily the nose. Symptoms include a cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fever in which usually resolve in seven to ten days, with some symptoms lasting up to three weeks. Well over 200 viruses are implicated in the cause of the common cold; the rhinoviruses are the most common. www. Assignment. Point. com

A representation of the molecular surface of one variant of human rhinovirus www. Assignment. Point. com

Signs and symptoms: • • • A sore throat. There may be pain on swallowing. Sneezing. The nose begins to run, with a water-like secretion that gradually becomes thicker and more yellow. As the mucous membrane of the nose swells, it may be hard to breathe through the nose. An aching feeling in the ears. Headache. Coughing. A feeling of being unwell. A high temperature. Children are more likely to run a temperature than adults. www. Assignment. Point. com

Causes: • The common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. The most commonly implicated virus is a rhinovirus (30– 80%), a type of picornavirus with 99 known serotypes. Others include: coronavirus (10– 15%), influenza (5– 15%), human parainfluenza viruses, human respiratory syncytial virus, adenoviruses, enteroviruses, and metapneumovirus. Frequently more than one virus is present. In total over 200 different viral types are associated with colds. www. Assignment. Point. com

Coronaviruses are a group of viruses known for causing the common cold. They have a halo, or crown-like (corona) appearance when viewed under an electron microscope www. Assignment. Point. com

Diagnosis: • The distinction between different viral upper respiratory tract infections is loosely based on the location of symptoms with the common cold affecting primarily the nose, pharyngitis the throat, and bronchitis the lungs. There however can be significant overlap and multiple areas can be affected. The common cold is frequently defined as nasal inflammation with varying amount of throat inflammation. Self diagnosis is frequent. Isolation of the actual viral agent involved is rarely performed, and it is generally not possible to identify the virus type through symptoms. www. Assignment. Point. com

Prevention: • Physical measure to prevent the spread of cold viruses has been deemed the only potentially effective measure for prevention. These measures include primarily hand washing and face masks; in the health care environment, gowns and disposable gloves are also used. Efforts such as quarantine are not possible as the disease is so widespread and symptoms are nonspecific. Vaccination has proved difficult as there are so many viruses involved and they change rapidly. Creation of a broadly effective vaccine is thus highly improbable. www. Assignment. Point. com

Treatment of common cold: • There's no effective way of treating an ordinary cold to make it go away quicker. If the sufferer has no other diseases than the common cold, and it goes away in one to two weeks, there's no reason to see a doctor. Since a cold is caused by a virus, antibiotics are not appropriate. • Make sure you drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids, ideally water – this is especially important for children. Many symptoms can also be soothed by warm drinks. • Sleep with the head on a high pillow www. Assignment. Point. com

• There's no need to reduce daily activities. But you should expect to become tired more easily. Children with a cold should be allowed to get plenty of rest. • Avoid smoking. It irritates the mucous membrane of the nose further. • A blocked nose and chesty cough can be eased by using steam inhalations, www. Assignment. Point. com

Thanks to all……………. . www. Assignment. Point. com