The Common Cold

This past week I've battled with what started off as a hangover and then segued into a cold. Luckily, it did not reach influenza proportions and I thank not smoking for that. Anyway, here's some general things that I've learned about the common cold. Pardon the "earthy" language, as I'm still disgruntled by my illness.

• There's no damn cure. Your body is the only thing that can fight off a cold and you must rest to allow it do its thing. Don't start doing chores just cause you're stuck at home - bad move!
• You can't get vaccinated, cause there's about 200 different viruses that can give you a cold.
• DRINK LIQUIDS that don't include caffeine. No tea, no coffee, no soda.
• No Booze!
• Quit smoking, idiot!
• Humidify your home - dry air helps colds thrive, hence, why winter is when everyone is getting sick - NOT because of cold weather. The cold weather thing is a myth that just won't die.
• There was also some questions about chicken soup, the age old remedy for the colds. Only recently has there been some studies done on that claim and the verdict looks like chicken soup is a winner.

Check out this article from the good folks at the Mayo Clinic...Cold remedies: What works, what doesn't, what can't hurt.

A couple other good resources are:

• National Institute of Health - Common Cold
• American Lung Association - Cold and Flu Guidelines
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH, again)