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Respiratory tract infections

Feature: Common cold

What is the common cold? How is it different from the flu? The cold is an infection that is usually caused by viruses and develops over a few days. It usually starts with a scratchy or sore throat.

Feature: Influenza

Influenza ("the flu") is not an ordinary cold. It hits harder, making you feel very ill very quickly, but symptoms usually improve within a week. Babies and toddlers, people who are over 65 and people with certain chronic diseases have a considerably higher risk of flu-related complications. There are several things you can do to lower the likelihood of infection.

Research summaries

Common colds: Can antibiotics help?

The adverse effects of antibiotics probably outweigh the benefits of antibiotics for uncomplicated colds. They might be worthwhile only when a cold does not get better as fast as usual or there is bacterial infection. more...

Common colds: Can vitamin C prevent or relieve them?

Taking vitamin C every day to try to prevent colds does not protect most people from colds. It only slightly shortens the amount of time that they are ill. Starting to take vitamin C at the first sign of a cold does not affect the course of the cold. more...

Common colds: Does echinacea work?

It is not clear whether echinacea extracts can prevent colds. Taking some echinacea products when a cold starts might help to reduce the cold's length and severity. Because the available products are very different to one another, more research is needed to be sure. Adverse effects are rare. more...