General cold (watery nose,eyes)

The general cold is a viral disease of your upper respiratory tract — your nose and throat. A common cold is typically harmless, although it may not feel that way. If it's not a runny nose, sore throat and cough, it's the watery eyes, sneezing and congestion — or maybe all of the above. In fact, because any one of more than 200 viruses can cause a common cold, symptoms tend to vary greatly.

Most adults are likely to have a common cold two to four times a year. Children, especially preschoolers, may have a common cold as many as six to 10 times annually.
Most people recover from a common cold in about a week or two. If symptoms don't improve, see your doctor.



Symptoms
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Itchy or sore throat
• Cough
• Congestion
• Slight body aches or a mild headache
• Sneezing
• Watery eyes
• Low fever (up to 102 F, or 39 C)
• Mild fatigue


When to see a doctor For adults —

Seek medical attention if you have:
• Fever of 102 F (39 C) or higher
• High fever accompanied by achiness and fatigue
• Fever accompanied by sweating, chills and a cough with colored phlegm
• Significantly swollen glands
• Severe sinus pain

For children — In general, children are sicker with a common cold than adults are and often develop complications, such as ear infections. Your child doesn't need to see the doctor for a routine common cold. But seek medical attention right away if your child has any of the following signs or

symptoms:
• Fever of 103 F (39.5 C) or higher, chills or sweating
• Fever that lasts more than three days
• Vomiting or abdominal pain
• Unusual sleepiness
• Severe headache
• Difficulty breathing
• Persistent crying
• Ear pain
• Persistent cough

Risk Factors

Cold viruses are exactly always present in the environment. But the following factors can increase your chances of getting a cold:
Age. Infants and preschool children are especially susceptible to common colds because they haven't yet developed resistance to most of the viruses that cause them. But an immature immune system isn't the only thing that makes kids vulnerable. They also tend to spend lots of time with other children and frequently aren't careful about washing their hands and covering their coughs and sneezes. Colds in newborns can be problematic if they interfere with nursing or breathing through the nose.

Immunity. As you age, you develop immunity to many of the viruses that cause common colds. You'll have colds less frequently than you did as a child. However, you can still come down with a cold when you are exposed to cold viruses, have an allergic reaction that affects your nasal passages or have a weakened immune system. All of these factors increase your risk of a cold.

Time of year. Both children and adults are more susceptible to colds in fall and winter. That's because children are in school, and most people are spending a lot of time indoors. In places where there is no winter season, colds are more frequent in the rainy season.