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Growing up, there were very few crimes in the Gothamist Health household that were as grave as going outside without a hat in the winter. Our mom was convinced that colds and flu's were spawned from such sartorial oversight as well as other offenses that included venturing outdoors with a wet head of hair. Although over the years (mostly by going to medical school) we've been able to disabuse mom of most of these myths and oldwive's tales (her finally being an old wife - don't tell her we said that). But a recent publication from the Mayo Clinic and an article in Medical News Today may re-establish some of these time tested treatments.
Considering that most adults will have a couple of colds this winter season and that kids may have up to a dozen, it's no surprise that the drug companies have been hard at work trying to cash in on this scourge, flooding the market with purported panaceas. But many may be of little to no value. First things first, despite what mom is (still) convinced of, colds are not caused by cold weather, but by viruses. Therefore antibiotics, which kill bacteria, are useless in the fight. Although some of these personal space invaders are around during the summer, it's the cold weather that drives us indoors, into close quarters, facilitating the sharing of the sniffle causing buggers. So the best treatment remains prevention: frequent hand washing and avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth immediately after shaking someone's hand or contacting some other contaminated surface.
To give mom some credit though, chicken soup does actually help. Not so much because of anything in the soup per se, but because warm liquids are good in general, keeping one hydrated, loosening up yucky mucus, and soothing a sore throat.
Scoring another point for moms, humidity also does a body good, to the same effect as drinking warm liquids. Humidity treatment can be easily accomplished by either hanging your head over a store bought humidifier or over a recently boiled and now steamy pot of water with a towel over your head, or by just spending a few extra minutes in a steamy shower.
Decongestants can help you feel less congested at first but can actually worsen symptoms after a few days of use as the body becomes accustomed to them. So try to phase them out once they stop working. People with high blood pressure, kidney problems, glaucoma, diabetes, or thyroid disease should be in touch with their doctor before using decongestants as many of the active ingredients can lead to other problems. Tylenol (acetaminophen), aspirin, and ibuprofen can help in easing body aches and keeping a fever down. Just be sure not to exceed the recommended daily dosage. Again people with kidney, liver, or stomach problems should consult their MDs before popping pills. Cough medicines probably don't do too much so just skip them.
Antihistamines, we're told, are no good. While they do help in alleviating congestion, they really dry out mucus membranes, allowing germs to stick around for longer in your nose and throat - and remember, we're tying to get rid of them. The irony here is that its an antihistamine (Benadryl, or diphenhydramine) in Nyquil that helps you sleep but in the end may hurt your recovery efforts. But like everything else, its a matter of striking the right balance. Since getting proper rest is also essential in getting over a cold or the flu, if you really can't sleep at night, a little antihistamine may work wonders. But don't be surprised if you feel parched and your throat's more sore in the morn.
And then there are the vitamins, herbs, and minerals. Many thorough and respected studies have not come up with much evidence supporting vitamin C, echinacea, or zinc. Although some have suggested that zinc lozenges may shorten the duration of symptoms.
In the end, as uncomfortable and downright miserable as your cold may make you, it should only be around for about a week. But if you start experiencing other more troubling symptoms, including a high fever, severe aches, and loss of appetite you may actually have influenza and might want to see your doctor. And gesundheit!
Do Gothamist readers have any time tested home remedies for colds?
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Tylenol and Gatorade aand sleep work for me.
But water aspirin and sleep are also recomended.
I rode out the last cold without the cold medecine and I think I was better for it. Chicken Soup is also a great comfort
Uh, I've always been told that hanging your head over a BOILING POT OF WATER will give you steam burns! Boil the water, turn off the heat, take it off the burner, and put your towel-covered head over the pot. Works wonders without all that nasty blistering.
Thanks for the tip, Amanda. Although skin blisters may detract from your cold symptoms, they're not the desired outcome. Will fix the post.
cold-eeze works well at the onset of a cold.
i second the cold-eeze and swear by zinc, especially zicam.
Tried and true
Echinacea-Golden seal complex, Acidophilus, Emergen-c, an essential greens capsule regime, elderberry, Coldcalm, lots of tea (immunity or otherwise), lots of water, sleep like crazy! And eat lots of noodle soup (as a vegetarian, I skip the chicken).
This never fails me, and I always recover quickly.
What I do during this season to keep colds/flu away and also to get over it is the same. I drink an Emergen-C every morning and try to eat a clove of raw garlic in my food. I use a press and squeeze it into my soup, salad, pasta, whatever - it helps to clear you up temporarily and it just really helps your immune system. I keep pretty well hydrated normally but more hot teas while sick.
Here is a good drink:
a good size chunk of GINGER Root
lemons
honey
Slice a good bit of the Ginger Root and put into a heavy pot. Take one lemon and cut in half - use either one half cut up or all of the lemon cut in quarters. Put Lemon in pot. Add water to cover with about 2-3 inches over.
Bring to a boil and then simmer until the liquid is half the original amount.
Put honey in the bottom of a mug and ladle the ginger-lemon broth into the mug. Drink when still warm but not burning hot.
Repeat as needed.
Can refrigerate the broth - but strain it first.
Has anyone else this year been hit by the cold of doom? My wife and I, along with several people we know, have suffered from extended colds that mutated into bouts of severe nausea and vomiting, followed by secondary infections that required antibiotics. This is by far the worst cold cycle either of us has experienced in years.
As for treatments, my doctor laughed at the idea that phenylephrine is back on the market, calling it largely useless. If you want real decongestant (pseudephedrine), you typically have to beg at the pharmacy counter and sign a register, which is a useless precaution to prevent people from making meth.
For sleeping at night, a good alternative is guaifenesin, which thins mucus without the strong upper effect. I'm also a fan of Breathe Right strips, which help to hold nasal passages open.
And for me, in the end, it was good ol' azithromycin that finally killed the beast inside my head. It may have started as a virus, but the bacteria muscled in and took over at some point.