Common Cold - Definition



The common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory system. The upper respiratory system includes the nose, throat, sinuses, eustachian (pronounced yoo-STA-shuhn) tubes, trachea (pronounced TRAY-kee-uh), larynx, and bronchial tubes. More than two hundred different viruses can cause a cold. A group of viruses known as the rhinoviruses, however, causes about 30 to 50 percent of all colds. Almost all colds clear up in less than two weeks without complications.

Bronchial tubes:
The major airways that lead to the lungs.
Coronavirus:
A type of virus that can cause the common cold.
Eustachian tube:
A thin tube between the middle ear and the pharynx at the back of the mouth.
Rhinovirus:
A type of virus that can cause the common cold.

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