The common cold (also known as nasopharyngitis, rhinopharyngitis, acute coryza, or a cold) is an easily spread infectious disease of the upper respiratory system. It damages mostly the nose and throat. The symptoms include cough, painful throat, runny nose (rhinorrhea), and fever. These symptoms usually last seven to ten days, but sometimes up to three weeks. Over two hundred different viruses can cause the common cold, but rhinoviruses are the most common cause.