No Cure for the Common Cold
By Heather Shelby, RN, Education Coordinator,
Northwest Florida Community Hospital

A common cold is an infection of your upper respiratory tract — your nose and throat. You are sneezing, sniffling, and completely miserable from a cold you can’t shake. There is no cure for the common cold. So what do you do? In fact, because any one of more than 200 viruses can cause a common cold, symptoms tend to vary a great deal. Unfortunately, if you're like most adults, you're likely to have a common cold two to four times a year. Children, especially preschoolers, may have a common cold as many as six to 10 times annually. As you age, you develop immunity to many of the viruses that cause common colds. You'll have colds less frequently than you did as a child, though you can still come down with a cold when you are exposed to cold viruses, have an allergic reaction that affects your nasal passages or have a weakened immune system, all of which increase your risk of a cold.

There are some “natural remedies” that we hear about from friends and neighbors. Everyone always likes to give their friendly recommendation. Here we have 4 natural remedies that we will look into:

ZINC- Zinc helps by preventing the formation of proteins needed by a cold virus to reproduce. But studies are scarce on zinc. None of the studies concludes that zinc has any real effect on shortening a cold.
VITAMIN C SUPPLEMENTS- These are also not proven to shorten a cold. If Vitamin C is taken in a preventive method daily, it can very slightly shorten your cold’s duration.
ECHINACEA- This is herbal supplement and is controversial. Studies have shown conflicting results as to whether or not it is an immune booster with antiviral properties and other benefits.
CHICKEN SOUP- Chicken soup advocates feel it may help soothe inflammation that make your cold symptoms worse. There is not report that proves chicken soup actively fights your cold. It may help combat dehydration that can occur when you are battling a cold or the flu. Chicken soup has that warm appeal to it and it is a feel-good food when we are sick.

WHAT DOESN’T WORK?
Antibiotics. These destroy bacteria, but they're no help against cold viruses. Avoid asking your doctor for antibiotics for a cold or using old antibiotics you have on hand. You won't get well any faster, and inappropriate use of antibiotics contributes to the serious and growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Does anything really work to prevent a cold?
Experts all agree that the wisest thing for prevention is the tried and true hand-washing suggestion. Cold viruses can linger on surfaces longer than we have previously found out. Hand-washing is the key process to prevent colds and flu viruses from spreading.

WASH HANDS FOR 20 SECONDS

Rhinoviruses cause about ½ of all colds in adults. Acquiring this virus is actually quite simple. The virus makes its way onto your hand (s) via a contaminated surface. You then touch your face, mouth, nose and you are hosting this virus. This virus doesn’t usually transmit through the air. Just because you are in a cold victim’s “air-space”, doesn’t mean that you can or will get it from them. The length of time that cold or flu germs can survive outside the body on an environmental surface, such as a doorknob, varies greatly. But the suspected range is from a few seconds to 48 hours — depending on the specific virus and the type of surface. Flu viruses tend to live longer on surfaces than cold viruses do. Also, it's generally believed that cold and flu viruses live longer on nonporous surfaces — such as plastic, metal or wood — than they do on porous surfaces — such as fabrics, skin or paper. Although cold and flu viruses primarily spread from person-to-person contact, you can also become infected from contact with contaminated surfaces.
Cold viruses grow mainly in the nose where they multiply in nasal cells and are present in large quantities in the nasal fluid of people with colds.
The highest concentration of cold virus in nasal secretions occurs during the first three days of infection. This is when infected persons are most contagious.

• Regular tried and true cold remedies
• These are remedies that your local health-care provider would recommend to most average cold sufferers.
• Practice good hand-washing so that you don’t share your virus with others.
• Breathe in humidified air either in a warm shower or by a humidifier to loosen and thin secretions.
• Increase fluid intake of non-sugary liquids such as water.
• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing and/or sneezing.
• Medications such as decongestants, antihistamines, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should be recommended by your health-care professional for your specific symptom treatment. Most of these meds treat symptoms and not the specific virus. Read labels carefully. Some of the combination medications contain fever-reducing agents, so make sure that you are not taking more than the required dose.
• Patience and rest

Other recommendations: Scrub your stuff. Keep kitchen and bathroom countertops clean, especially when someone in your family has a common cold. Wash children's toys after play. Don’t use sponges in the kitchen. Use instead, a washrag or disposable cloth.
Use tissues. Always sneeze and cough into tissues. Discard used tissues right away, and then wash your hands carefully. Teach children to sneeze or cough into the bend of their elbow when they don't have a tissue. That way they cover their mouth without using their hands.
Don’t share. Don't share drinking glasses or utensils with other family members. Use your own glass when you or someone else is sick. Label the cup or glass with the name of the person with the cold.
Steer clear of colds. Avoid close, prolonged contact with anyone who has a cold.
Choose your child care center wisely. Look for a child care setting with sound hygiene practices and clear policies about keeping sick children at home. The number of children in the center directly relates to the number of colds to which your child will be exposed.
Salt water. A saltwater gargle — 1/2 teaspoon salt in an 8-ounce glass of warm water — can temporarily relieve a sore or scratchy throat.
Saline nasal sprays. Over-the-counter saline nasal sprays combat stuffiness and congestion. Unlike nasal decongestants, saline sprays don't lead to a rebound effect — a worsening of symptoms when the medication is discontinued — and most are safe and nonirritating, even for children.

Most colds are gone within 10 days. Like most virus infections, colds just have to run their course. Getting plenty of rest, avoiding vigorous activity, and drinking lots of fluids - juice, water, and noncaffeinated beverages - all may help you feel better while on the mend. Eat a healthy diet consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables. Cut out the greasy and processed foods and decrease your sugar intake. If your symptoms get worse instead of better after 3 days or so, the problem could be strep throat, sinusitis, pneumonia, or bronchitis, especially if you smoke. If symptoms last for more than a week, appear at the same time every year, or occur when you are exposed to pollen, dust, animals, or another substance, you could have an allergy. If you have trouble breathing or wheezes when you catch a cold, you could have asthma.

Is It a Cold or the Flu?

• Fever Rare Characteristic, high
(100-102 degrees F); lasts 3-4 days

• Headache Rare Prominent

• General Aches, Pains Slight Usual; often severe

• Fatigue, Weakness Quite mild Can last up to 2-3 weeks

• Extreme Exhaustion Never Early and prominent

• Stuffy Nose Common Sometimes

• Sneezing Usual Sometimes

• Sore Throat Common Sometimes

• Chest Discomfort, Cough Mild to moderate; hacking cough Common; can become severe

• Complications Sinus congestion or earache Bronchitis, pneumonia; can be life-threatening

WebMD Medical Reference
SOURCE: The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, September 2005. The CDC: "Antiviral Drugs and the Flu," Oct. 22, 2005.
Reviewed by Jonathan L Gelfand, MD on November 13, 2007
© 2005 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.