Acute rhinitis (head cold)

For a lay person:

Acute rhinitis is short-term inflammation of the lining of the nose, most often caused by a common cold virus. It causes sneezing, a runny or blocked nose and sometimes a sore throat, and usually gets better on its own within a week to ten days.

For a trained medical person:

Usually viral (rhinovirus, coronavirus and others) upper respiratory infection with mucosal inflammation and congestion; allergic and irritant triggers can cause similar symptoms. Diagnosis is clinical. Management is supportive: fluids, rest, saline irrigation, analgesics and short-term decongestants; antibiotics are not indicated for uncomplicated viral rhinitis.

In Chinese medicine:

Liu and Tseng's textbook differentiates this condition into these patterns: Exterior Wind-Cold; Exterior Wind-Heat. Treatment follows the pattern a patient presents with, not the Western diagnosis alone.

When to get help: See a doctor if symptoms last more than ten days, worsen after improving, or come with high fever, severe facial pain or swelling around the eyes. Seek urgent care for breathing difficulty.