The Common Cold - Part 1 - The Nasal Passageway

By Vishwaram Maharaj

Ever wonder what is this thing people call a cold? All you probably know is that it gives you a cough, runny, nose and doctor appointments, right? Well today only on GSMHEALTH.COM we are going to learn about a common sickness that everyone knows, but somehow no one knows? The common cold.

The common cold is an upper respiratory infection. It is highly contagious and therefore very common. It is an inflammation of the mucous membranes in the head and throat. The symptoms of this sickness are a runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, and dry cough. A cold, in some cases, may be accompanied by headaches, muscle aches, and mild fever.

The causes of this sickness are mostly viruses. In a few days a cold can go away instantly, but there are some times that a cold is followed by infections of the, ears, sinuses, throat, or even lungs. So if a cold is caused by an inflammation of the mucous membranes in the head and throat, what exactly is an inflammation?

Inflammation:

As we living beings breath in air, we take up tiny microorganisms in our body everyday we live. Some of these microorganisms can be viruses. When viruses enter our body the body will respond with a defense called an inflammation. The signs of an inflammation are redness, heat, swelling, and pain. When the blood is pumping through your body and it reaches the infected area, this causes redness. If the body begins to circulate more blood and heat it can create fevers and can help the body defend against the viruses more effectively. It can also slow the growth of the invading organism.

As the blood continues to circulate, fluid from the blood vessels leak into an inflamed area. This results in swelling and the delivery of antibodies to the infected area. At this point, with the arrival of the antibodies, invaders are then broken down by cells called granulocytes. During a cold, if you blow your nose or discharge mucous, the result of the break down could be in that discharge.

Infections inside the nose:

So why does our nose get stuffy? Well, because, as we take in air through our nasal passages, foreign particles (viruses and bacteria), stick to the mucous membranes in the nose. As a result, the membranes discharge a clear runny liquid to wash away everything in the nose. Acute Rhinitis is the most common upper respiratory infection and is one of the first discomforts when experiencing a common cold. Symptoms of this are swelling, and an increased discharge from the mucous membranes in the nose. Or you can just say, “a runny nose.”

How do the sinuses get infected?

Inside the bones that surround the nose are multiple air-filled cavities called sinuses. On top of these sinuses are mucus membranes that line the entire nasal passage. As a result of how we breathe infections may easily spread throughout the nose and into the sinuses because of the mucous membrane lining. If bacteria invades the sinuses, something called sinusitis results. Signs of this are a painful infection and gray, yellow, or green discharge from the nose.