Viral infections are responsible for several common ailments, including the common cold. Though they cannot be treated with antibiotics, like bacterial infections, viral infections tend to clear up on their own within a matter of days or weeks. Some of the most common viral infections affect the respiratory tract.

A virus is a microorganism that invades living cells, using them to replicate and stay alive. When a virus enters the body and attacks the cells, this is referred to as a viral infection.

If you have a healthy immune system, your body will usually be able to fight off the viral infection. Often your body will retain a “memory” of this virus, which means you’ll have immunity from it in the future. Certain viruses cannot be fought off by your immune system and stay in the body on a long-term basis, causing recurring bouts of symptoms over a period of years.

Unlike bacterial infections, viral infections do not respond to antibiotics.

Many common viral infections are respiratory tract infections (RTIs), which essentially means they affect the nose, sinuses, throat, airways, and lungs.
Respiratory tract infections that can be caused by viruses include:

  • Common cold 

  • Flu 

  • Bronchitis 

  • Laryngitis 

  • Tonsillitis

  • Sinusitis

  • Pneumonia

A viral infection that affects the respiratory tract can create a number of different symptoms.

The common cold causes a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, coughing, a sore throat, headaches, and sometimes a high temperature. The flu, which is often confused with the common cold, causes more severe symptoms – most notably a fever, aches and pains, exhaustion, difficulty sleeping, and occasionally nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Bronchitis, laryngitis, tonsillitis and sinusitis are all conditions that can develop following a bout of cold or flu.

  • Bronchitis is an inflammation of the airways that causes a hacking cough, which might produce yellow or green phlegm and may last for several weeks.

  • Laryngitis is an inflammation of the voice box or vocal cords that causes a hoarse voice, a persistent cough, and a sore throat.

  • Tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils that causes a sore throat, pain on swallowing, and occasionally white spots at the back of the throat.

  • Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses that causes pain in the cheekbones and forehead, and a blocked nose.

 

Pneumonia is normally caused by a bacterial infection, but it can happen because of a viral infection. Pneumonia is a serious condition that causes a persistent cough, which may produce discoloured phlegm, difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat, fever, and chest pain.

Other types of viral infection can cause symptoms that affect the respiratory tract:

  • Glandular fever can cause a fever, severe sore throat, extreme tiredness, and swollen glands 

  • Mumps can cause aches and pains, nausea, tiredness, and fever – its signature symptom is painful swollen glands, which change the shape of the face

  • Measles can initially cause cold-like symptoms and a fever, after which a distinctive measles rash develops

 

Viruses cannot be treated with antibiotics, which means most respiratory tract infections caused by a virus typically don’t require prescription treatment. If your symptoms are mild, you can treat them at home.

It’s generally recommended that you seek medical help if your symptoms haven’t gone away after a couple of weeks, or if they are very severe. You should see a doctor as soon as you can if you suspect that you have pneumonia. You may need hospital treatment for pneumonia if your symptoms are severe.

COMMON COLD

A common cold rarely pose any serious threats to your health, which means you usually don’t need to see a doctor for your symptoms. You can treat your symptoms safely at home, using home remedies and making sure you rest until you feel better. Usually common colds clear up within a week or two.

The symptoms of a cold usually start gradually. The most common symptoms are:

  • Blocked or runny nose

  • Sore throat

  • Sneezing

  • Coughing

Sometime patients also develop a fever, headache, and muscle aches – although usually these symptoms are a sign that you may have a flu-like illness. The flu is usually more serious and symptoms are worse than that of a cold.

The flu causes a fever, muscle aches and pains, as well as extreme tiredness which makes it difficult to get out of bed. Flu-like illnesses usually start very quickly.

The flu can be dangerous for older people, and anyone who has a weakened immune system or suffers from a long-term medical condition. These patients should seek medical assessment if feeling very unwell.

Both the flu and colds are viral infections that is spread easily from an infected person.

It’s not true that winter weather causes colds, but it is true that they are more prevalent in the colder months. This is thought to be caused by people spending more time indoors, in close contact with one another, but also lack of vitamin D is thought to have been one of the causes. Regular vitamin D (together with vitamin K2) is usually recommended during winter months to improve immune functions.

To avoid catching a cold you should:

  • Wash your hands regularly with soap and warm water

  • Avoid sharing cups or towels with someone who has a cold

  • Avoid close contact with someone who has a cold

  • Maintain a healthy diet and gut microbiome, to ensure immune functions

  • Regular sinus rinses with saline may help prevent colds

 

Important to remember:

  • Most colds are mild and normally clear up within one or two weeks

  • There is no prescription treatment recommended to treat colds – antibiotics are ineffective as a treatment for viral infections

 

You would need to seek medical help only if:

  • Your symptoms haven’t gone away after three weeks

  • Your symptoms have gotten worse

  • You have a high temperature or feel hot and shivery

  • You feel very unwell

  • You’re having trouble breathing

  • You’re having chest pain

  • You have a long-term condition or a weakened immune system

 

 COUGH

 A cough is a reflex action that can help our body clear the airways. Coughs can be dry and tickly, or wet and chesty.

When mucus or irritants such as dust and smoke get into the lungs your body responds by coughing to clear out the airways and make it easier to breathe. Usually, a new cough is caused by a respiratory tract infection that affects the throat, airways, and lungs. It can also be a recurring symptom of an allergy or a long-term condition such as asthma.

If you smoke, you might develop a smoker’s cough. This is a persistent cough that occurs in response to a build-up of chemicals in the lungs.

Usually, you don’t need to speak to a clinician about a cough. However, there are some circumstances in which a cough could indicate a more serious condition. See your GP if you have the following symptoms:

  • Your cough has lasted longer than three weeks

  • Your cough is very severe or is getting worse

  • You have chest pain

  • You’ve lost weight unexpectedly

  • You’re finding it hard to breathe

  • You have a weakened immune system

  • You’re coughing up blood – you should see a doctor urgently in this case

 

If you have a new cough with a cold or a flu-like illness, you can treat it at home without needing any medical treatment. A good home remedy for a cough is hot water with lemon and honey. Antibiotics are generally not prescribed as they are not effective in treating a viral cough.

If you're a smoker you should stop, especially if you think it is the key cause of your cough. 

NASAL CONGESTION

Usually, a stuffy nose is caused by a short illness such as a cold, and will clear up on its own within a couple of weeks. Other common causes are allergies especially hay fever.

Nasal congestion happens when the tissues and blood vessels inside and around the nose swell up after becoming irritated and inflamed. This happens in response to infection, allergen and irritants.

At the same time, the immune system releases more mucus into the nasal passages to clear out the offending infection or irritant. This mucus is known as catarrh, and can cause a runny nose.

If your sinuses (air-filled spaces behind your forehead and cheekbones) also become inflamed this can lead to a build-up of mucus, and sinus pain i.e. pain, pressure and tenderness around the cheeks and forehead.

Most people have a runny nose and nasal congestion after catching a cold or the flu. The infection enters the nasal passages and causes inflammation, triggering the immune system to release more mucus – this results in your nose being blocked and runny. If the inflammation spreads to the sinuses this can cause sinus pain and pressure.

Another common cause is environmental factors. If you have an allergy such as hay fever, coming into contact with your trigger (e.g. pollen) can cause nasal congestion. You might also experience nasal congestion after being exposed to an irritant such as fumes or smoke. Sometimes, extreme weather conditions are enough to trigger a stuffy nose.

Nasal congestion is also a symptom of anatomical abnormalities. If you have nasal polyps (painless growths in the nose) or a deviated septum (a crooked or off-centre septum), you might have trouble breathing and experience chronic congestion in your nasal passages.

Other things that can cause nasal congestion include:

  • Hormone changes

  • Certain medications such as beta-blockers

  • Overuse of nasal decongestant sprays

 

If you’ve only been experiencing nasal congestion for a short time, it’s advised that you manage your symptoms at home using non-prescription products available in a pharmacy.

You should aim to keep your nasal passages moist, something you can do by:

  • Drinking plenty of fluids

  • Putting your face over a bowl of hot water and inhaling the steam

  • Using a salt water solution to clean your nose

  • Putting a warm flannel over your nose and cheeks

 

If your stuffy nose has been caused by an allergic reaction, taking antihistamines should work.

You should speak to a GP or ANP about your stuffy nose if it isn’t going away, and if it is affecting your quality of life.

It may be that your chronic nasal congestion is being caused by an allergy you aren’t aware you have. For this reason, your doctor may send you for allergy tests. You might also require a check for nasal polyps, a deviated septum, or problems with the sinuses.

Sinusitis

The sinuses are air-filled spaces in the bones of the face. They sit behind your cheekbones and forehead and are lined with a membrane that can sometimes become inflamed and swollen, leading to a blocked nose and pain in the face. This is known as sinusitis.

You will usually develop sinusitis after having a cold or the flu. The key symptoms of sinusitis are a blocked or stuffy nose, and pain and tenderness around the cheeks and the forehead.

You might also experience:

  • Green and yellow mucus from the nose – you may notice this when you blow your nose

  • A reduced sense of smell

  • Toothache

  • Headache

  • Fever

  • Bad breath

 

In very rare cases, a severe sinus infection can spread elsewhere and cause more serious symptoms. If your eyelid becomes painful and swollen while you have sinusitis this could mean you have an infection in your eye – you should seek medical help for this as soon as possible. If you develop a stiff neck, very bad headaches, high temperature or vomit this could also suggest a more serious infection and you should see a doctor urgently.

Sinusitis (inflammation of the sinuses) usually happens when the lining of your sinuses becomes infected. This nearly always happens because of a viral infection such as the common cold, although in rare cases, sinusitis can be a result of a bacterial infection. This is why antibiotics are usually not advised.

The symptoms of sinusitis usually clear up within a few weeks, which means you shouldn’t need to see a doctor. You can treat your symptoms at home by resting and drinking lots of fluids.

Other home remedies that can help include:

  • Cleaning your nose with salt water

  • Holding a warm flannel over your nose, cheeks, and forehead

  • Holding your face over a bowl of hot water and inhaling the steam

 

You can visit a pharmacy for decongestant nasal sprays or drops to help with your blocked nose.

In certain circumstances sinusitis should be treated by a doctor. You should make an appointment if your symptoms:

  • Are very severe

  • Get worse

  • Don’t start to improve after a week

  • Don’t improve if you take painkillers

  • Keep returning

 

In rare cases, chronic sinusitis requires specialist treatment such as surgery. Surgery for chronic sinusitis involves widening the sinuses by removing tissue or inflating a tiny balloon inside the blocked sinuses. These procedures are done under general anaesthetic.

The symptoms of a chronic sinusitis can indicate a separate condition: nasal polyps. This is where soft, painless growths develop inside your nose, causing a blocked nose, runny nose, reduced sense of smell, and nosebleeds. If the polyps block the sinuses, they can cause the symptoms of sinusitis.

Treating viral infections

You don’t need any treatment for viral infections, but looking after a our immune functions is important.

  • Make sure you get plenty of rest. Our immune functions use a lot of energy when activated due to a cold and as a result, we don’t have energy for much else. We often feel tired and need to rest and it is important to do this, to listen to our body.

  • We may not have much energy for digestion either and not feel like eating much. This is ok, our body needs to rest which often includes not eating much. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids instead

  • Drink plenty of warm/hot water and if you like, with lemon and/or honey. You can also add ginger and/or turmeric if you like. Both have great anti-inflammatory properties.

  • Sit in the sunshine if this is possible.

  • Take vitamin D (together with K2), vitamin C and Zinc supplements.