The Common Cold:
As Many Opinions as Viruses!

          Starve a fever, feed a cold (or is it the other way around?).   Eat chicken soup.   Overdose on vitamin C.   Stay out of drafts.   Keep your feet dry.

          All these -- and many more -- have been suggested as preventative measures against catching or suffering from the common cold.   Yet, although colds are more prevalent in winter months, the common cold still persists year 'round. . . .

Cold and colds.  For centuries, people have "known" that overexposure to cold, getting chilled, getting the feet wet and cold, and even more recently sitting in front of the air conditioner -- all could wind up in one's getting a cold.  (After all, why is it called a cold in the first place?)  Right?
      According to some studies, wrong!  Scientific studies in which subjects have allowed themselves to be deliberately exposed to such cold conditions and then directly exposed to the cold virus show that such subjects are no more likely to catch cold or to experience more severe symptoms than those directly exposed to the virus without being "prechilled."  (Of course, one might ask whether these studies take into account the type of people who would volunteer their vacations to endure such treatment -- are such people representative of the normal cold-getting population?  And is having cold virus nose-dropped up your nostrils relevant to normal "catching cold"?)
      On the other hand, many experts admit that factors which lower one's resistance to disease in general may make one more susceptible to cold virus and produce more pronounced symptoms. Avoiding excessive loss of body heat is certainly still healthful advice.

Covering your mouth and colds. For years, it had been thought that most colds were spread through the air, especially by coughing and sneezing.  But now, many experts believe colds are more likely to be spread by direct contact with the cold virus -- through hand-to-hand contact or hand-to-object-to-hand contact.  Covering your mouth with your hand when you sneeze or cough may actually increase the spread of the common cold if you then touch a doorknob or other object that someone else will soon also touch.  The best advice is to cover your cough or sneeze with a disposable handkerchief and wash your hands thoroughly and frequently when you have a cold.

Colds and dry air.  Now, humidifying dry air is a remedy we've heard of that seems feasible and is without controversy, right?  Dry air and the resulting dry nasal passages allow cold viruses to take hold and make symptoms worse.  It makes sense --but not to everyone!  Some experts claim their studies have shown that humidified air may make you feel more comfortable, but that it has little or no effect upon your health.  And the humidifiers themselves have been blamed for some (rarely but occasionally serious) respiratory problems.

Vitamin C and colds.  You have probably heard by now that studies have shown there is no connection between massive doses of vitamin C and reduced number of colds nor reduced cold symptoms.  Yet many people claim vitamin C works for them.  How come?  Well, more recent studies have shown that subjects who were given increased vitamin C during their colds felt better and were likely to miss less time from work -- even when they did not know they were receiving vitamin C.  Conservative recommendations are for no more than 250 milligrams of vitamin C daily; more than this will be expelled in the urine.  And, to prevent possible vitamin C deficiency upon "going off" increased dosage, cut back to lower levels gradually.

Antibiotics and colds.  Antibiotics are effective against bacteria, but not against viruses.  Why then would a doctor prescribe antibiotics to someone complaining of a bad cold?  -- A cold often reduces one's resistance to other infections that may be more serious; for example, bronchitis or pneumonia.  Such disorders can be effectively treated and virtually prevented with antibiotics.