If there is one big reason for everyone to go to a doctor’s office, it is the common cold. Cold being one trivial disorder can destroy your immune system if left untreated. All of the symptoms of cold are highly irritating to the point of spoiling your whole day. There is limited option of medications for cold. Alternative therapies like yoga cold remedies are occupying center stage of late. Guidance by trained instructors is necessary for practicing yoga poses for cold.

Symptoms of Cold
The disease is called cold because it is usually contracted in the cold season. Here is the list of the most common cold symptoms.

Sneezing and Scratchy Throat
Sneezing is an awkward sounding, sudden, involuntary burst of air in high force through the nose and mouth. Causes of sneezing are irritated mucous membranes of the throat and nose. Yes, it can bother you to no end, but it is not an alarming signal to a serious disease. Scratchy throat is another of the initial symptoms of common cold. This results in uncontrollable cough.

Runny Nose and Sore Throat
Runny nose and sore throat are other prominent symptoms of cold. Runny nose is by uncontrolled secretion of serous (thin, water like mucous) which, sometimes embarrasses you. Sore throat is itchy, inflammatory throat characterized by abnormal occurrence of mucous.

Cough, Headache and Mild Fever
Cough is the body’s way of removing mucus or foreign material from your respiratory system (lungs and air passages). It is the body’s reactive defense mechanism for respiratory irritations.

Causes of Common Cold
Although you can catch cold in any time of the year, it normally attacks in winter and rainy seasons. Children get 3-8 cold bouts a year while adults 2-5 per year. Children usually get it from other children. The reason behind spreading of cold is 200 different viruses.

Two Hundred Different Viruses
It is now known that there are about 200 different varieties of cold causing viruses. Rhinovirus is the most common of them and you have about 100 different varieties in it, which are not known to cause any serious danger. Others such as respiratory syncytial virus and parainfluenza can be reason for mild infection for adults. Children are known to suffer sever lower respiratory troubles.

Corona Viruses
Corona viruses also cause colds but a special variety of this type of viruses is causing Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome). Over 3000 have lost their lives the world over.

How Long Does Cold Last (2 To 14 Days)
Cold fever begins to show symptoms after 2-3 days of catching it. But cold can last for any where from 2-14 days occasionally. But normally every one will recover in 7 days. Anything beyond 2 weeks may be because of something else (an allergy), not just cold.

How Does Yoga Help In Preventing Cold?
It is the emphasis that yoga places on breathing which helps cope up with cold. The anuloma & vilomas and various yoga poses in addition to kapalabhati work effectively on the respiratory system for immediate and long term relief. Source