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The common cold is often caused by the rhinovirus. It is one of the most widespread illnesses and is a leading cause of visits to the doctor and absence from school and work. Complications of the common cold include ear infection, sinusitis and exacerbations of reactive airway diseases. There is no proven treatment for the common cold. However, an even ...

The common cold is a major cause of visits to a doctor in high-income countries and of absenteeism from work and school. There are over 200 viruses which can cause the common cold symptoms including runny nose, congestion, sneezing, sore throat, cough, and sometimes headache, fever and red eyes. Symptoms vary from person to person and cold to cold. ...

Antibiotics are among the most prescribed medications worldwide. Antibiotic treatment may disturb the balance of organisms that normally inhabit the gut. This can result in a range of symptoms, most notably, diarrhea. Clostridium difficile is one particularly dangerous organism that may colonize the gut if the normal healthy balance has been disturbed. ...

Cranberries (usually as cranberry juice) have been used to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). Cranberries contain a substance that can prevent bacteria from sticking on the walls of the bladder. This may help prevent bladder and other UTIs. This review identified 24 studies (4473 participants) comparing cranberry products with control or alternative ...

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection causes significant mortality, morbidity, and it is an economic burden worldwide. Although the current approved therapies show beneficial effects, response to treatment is not satisfactory, patients are at high risk of developing viral resistance, and serious adverse events occur. The objective of this review ...

The use of cannabis (marijuana), its active ingredient or synthetic forms such as dronabinol has been advocated in patients with HIV/AIDS, in order to improve the appetite, promote weight gain and lift mood. Dronabinol has been registered for the treatment of AIDS-associated anorexia in some countries. However, the evidence for positive effects in patients ...

Influenza is a viral respiratory infection that causes an acute febrile illness with myalgia, headache and cough, and can result in high morbidity and mortality rates during an epidemic. Annual epidemics are thought to result in between three and five million cases of severe influenza and between 250,000 and 500,000 deaths worldwide. Currently, annual ...

Achieving and maintaining optimal nutrition is considered an important adjunct in the clinical care of patients infected with HIV, as good nutrition can improve an individual's immune function, limit disease-specific complications, and improve quality of life and survival. We sought to determine whether macronutrient interventions, either given to provide ...

Gastroenteritis and respiratory infections (particularly pneumonia) are the two most common causes of death in low-income countries. Preventive zinc supplementation may correct any deficiency leading to immunodeficiency and indeed some evidence suggests that preventive zinc supplementation may reduce child mortality and morbidity from infectious diseases, ...

In developing countries, millions of children suffer from severe diarrhoea every year. This is due to infection and malnutrition, and many die from dehydration due to the diarrhoea. Giving fluids by mouth (using an oral rehydration solution) has been shown to save children's lives, but it seems to have no effect on the length of time the children suffer ...