Bringing sniffles and sneezes and perhaps a sore throat and
annoying cough, the common cold catches all of us from time to
time. With kids getting as many as eight colds per year or more,
this contagious viral infection of the upper respiratory tract
is the most common infectious disease in the United States and
the No. 1 reason kids visit the doctor and stay home from
school. Most colds are caused by rhinoviruses that are in
invisible droplets in the air we breathe or on things we touch.
More than 100 different rhinoviruses can infiltrate the
protective lining of the nose and throat, triggering an immune
system reaction that can cause a throat sore and headache, and
make it hard to breathe through the nose. Air that's dry —
indoors or out — can lower resistance to infection by the
viruses that cause colds. And so can being a smoker or being
around someone who's smoking. People who smoke are more likely
to catch a cold than people who don't — and their symptoms
probably will be worse, last longer, and are mor