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The Truth About Cold and Flu Myths
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- Chicken Soup and Wet Heads: The Truth
About Cold and Flu Myths
 Folklore About Curing the Common Cold
and Flu Revealed as Fact or Fiction
(ARA) - At some point when
you were a child, your mother may have told you not to leave
the house with a wet head. “You’ll catch a cold, the
minute you walk out that door,” she would say. As children
we laughed it off, but now as adults we sometimes wonder, was
what she said true?
With every winter season comes
a barrage of sniffles, sneezes, coughs and colds. However, most
people don’t run to the doctor for every hint of a cold
or flu. Instead, they turn to the age old motherly wisdom that’s
been passed down through the generations. You know, those tales
that supposedly can help prevent or treat common cold weather
ailments.
But which ones are really valid?
Can you actually catch a cold from not drying your hair before
going outside in the winter?
“Many of these adages
actually do have some truth to them,” says Phyllis Brown,
CRNP. “However, just as many of those sayings are purely
fictitious.”
To help demystify these long
established sayings, here is a list of common myths and the real
truth that lies within them.
Cold weather makes it easier
to catch a cold.
Fiction. Cold weather has nothing
to do with catching a cold. Many people become ill due to the
fact that we tend to spend more time indoors in close contact
with other people in heated homes. Because of the heated close
quarters, germs are more easily passed from person to person.
You can catch the flu from
getting a flu shot.
Fiction. The flu vaccine is
made from an inactivated virus, so you cannot catch the flu from
a flu shot. However, it’s not uncommon to experience some
soreness at the point where the injection was administered, and
on occasion some people can feel a little under the weather for
a few days.
Starve a cold, feed a fever.
Fiction and fiction. “This
is definitely not a good idea in either case,” says Brown.
“It is extremely important to stay well hydrated when you’re
sick. Starving a cold by not drinking plenty of water and juice
could do even more damage.”
Likewise, overeating when you
have a fever is not ideal either. It is important to eat, but
you should not overindulge. Eat enough to satisfy your appetite,
and make sure to drink plenty of fluids.
Herbal remedies are helpful
for treating colds.
Fact. An herbal remedy will
not cure your cold, but in many cases an herbal remedy can alleviate
many cold symptoms and allow you to feel better. For many people,
head and chest congestion are the most irritating aspects of
being sick because a stuffy nose and heavy head make it very
difficult to sleep.
Humidifiers utilized in conjunction
with an herbal aroma can provide substantial relief from head
and sinus congestion as well as help soothe an itchy or scratchy
throat. The Ultra Sonic Personal Humidifier from Medisana is
one humidifier that actually comes with a eucalyptus cold therapy
to specifically combat congestion and throat irritation.
Chicken soup will help you
feel better.
Fact and fiction. It is true
that warm chicken soup will make a sore throat feel better. However,
chicken soup does not have any special medicinal healing power
to cure a cold. Along with chicken soup, the notion that hot
toddies will provide relief is absolutely false. When you’re
sick, it is definitely important to avoid alcohol. Beverages
containing alcohol contribute to dehydration, which can compound
the effects of a cold or flu.
It’s easier to catch a
cold if you go outside with wet hair.
And the answer is: Fiction!
The only way to catch a cold or flu virus is if you come in contact
with one. Having a wet head or wet feet will not make you more
susceptible to catching a cold. Wet hair in chilly weather can
sometimes lower body temperature and make you feel colder, which
in turn can reduce resistance to a virus or cold, but you will
not get sick purely from having wet hair in cold weather.
So, was your mother right?
Well, not always, but she was trying to make sure you were healthy.
Knowing the truth behind the myths will help you better prevent
and treat any cold or flu bug, and that will definitely keep
mom happy.
You can find The Ultra Sonic
Personal Humidifier from Medisana for sale at Wal-Mart.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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- ARTICLE POSTED
NOVEMBER 02, 2005
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