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Essentials of Diagnosis
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Nasal congestion, clear rhinorrhea, and hyposmia
Associated malaise, headache, and cough
Erythematous, engorged nasal mucosa without intranasal purulence
Symptoms are self-limited, lasting < 4 weeks and typically < 10 days
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General Considerations
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Because there are numerous serologic types of rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, and other viruses, patients remain susceptible throughout life
These infections have been implicated in the development or exacerbation of more serious conditions, such as
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Differential Diagnosis
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There are no effective antiviral therapies for the prevention of viral rhinitis
Zinc
Efficacy is controversial
Five studies that used < 75 mg of zinc acetate daily showed no benefit
However, three studies that used zinc acetate in daily doses over 75 mg showed significant reduction in duration of symptoms
The effect with zinc salts other than acetate was also significant at doses > 75 mg/day, but not as high as the zinc acetate lozenge studies (20% vs 42% reduction in cold duration)
Buffered hypertonic saline (3–5%) nasal irrigation has been shown to improve symptoms and reduce the need for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Oral decongestants (pseudoephedrine, 30–60 mg every 4–6 hours or 120 mg twice daily), may provide some relief of rhinorrhea and nasal obstruction
Nasal sprays, such as oxymetazoline or phenylephrine, are rapidly effective but should not be used for more than a few days to prevent rhinitis medicamentosa (rebound congestion)
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Dhama
K
et al. Coronavirus disease 2019 – COVID-19. Clin Microbiol Rev. 2020;33:e00028.
[PubMed: 32580969]