Common Cold Essay, Research Paper
Common ColdThe common cold is can be a result of over one hundred different types of viruses. Symptoms of the disease include nasal congestion and discharge, sore throat, and coughing. This infectious disease is difficult to treat, the cause of absenteeism in schools and industry, and may become more serious if not treated correctly.The common cold is difficult to treat because it can be caused by more than one hundred different viruses. Also, it contains symptoms identical to those of respiratory infections caused by bacteria. These include hay fever and asthma. The body also has a difficult time terminating these viruses. The immune system is activated by the clinging of the virus to the nasal passage or throat. The body senses this and begins producing a type of white blood cells called neutrophils to attack the infected region. If the body does not recognize the virus, it produces as many of these white blood cells it needs to annihilate the virus. Despite the activeness of this procedure, two hundred different strains of this virus are too tough for the immune system to handle. The production of the neutrophils and mucus are what cause coughing and irritation of the throat.Frightening new statistics prove that the common cold is the leading cause of absenteeism in schools and industry. It is said that each person will miss two and a half days of school/work due to this disease. This adds up to the loss of over one hundred and fifty million days a year. Unfortunately, the virus has an opportunity to spread to surrounding employees/classmates three days before you are infected.
The infection s symptoms will settle after one to four days. Then, the virus will last about another three days. The body needs to then clear its various cold fighters out of its system. This may include feeling congested and can last up to a week. However, this is if the virus is properly and promptly treated. If it is not, it may lead to more serious things. These include bronchitis, pneumonia, and sinus or middle-ear infections. There are several strains of each type of virus with varying degrees of virulence. Each strain may act as a helper in immunity for that type of strain, but has no affect on a different kind of strain. In 1985, United States researchers used advanced X-ray crystallography methods to produce a three-dimensional model of one of the most common cold viruses. By analyzing the antibody binding sites on the viral coat exposed a very high degree of antigenic variability, suggesting that production of a vaccine to protect people from the common cold may not be helping, but creating more variations of the virus making it more arduous to control.All in all, viruses can t always be avoided or prevented. The best way to treat them is most likely to let nature take its coarse by letting the body take care of the disease. Until an affective cure has been fabricated, this infectious disease will continue to be the leading cause of absenteeism in schools and industry.