Fact or fiction: Home remedies for cold and flu hold a bit of both

When cold and flu season sets in, people often rely on long-held, family-favorite therapies to soothe tickles in their throats or stuffy heads.

Some may dismiss these remedies as old wives' tales. Others swear by them.

Swanson Health Products in downtown Fargo sees an uptick in people looking for certain products around Thanksgiving, says retail store manager Joanne Audette. They want food supplements like vitamin C and herbs like Echinacea to support their immune system, she says.

Doctors hear about cold and flu "cures" - zinc, vitamin E, hot steam.

And what mother hasn't served a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup when their little one is under the weather?

The cure for the common cold still eludes modern medicine. But these clichéd treatments can provide comfort.

"If it makes you feel better, it's probably not all bad," says Dr. Richard Vetter, a family practitioner with Dakota Clinic in West Fargo.

We asked Vetter and Dr. Curt Nyhus, managing physician partner of MeritCare's Walk-in Clinic in Fargo, to explain the fact and fiction behind common folk remedies and preventive steps.

A bowl of chicken noodle soup is often the first thing the sick crave.

With no dairy products, it's ideal for those plagued by a stomach virus.

"It serves as a good replenishing source of fluids, it serves as a good source of sodium, it's easy to digest," Nyhus says.

Vetter notes the warmth of the liquid also helps loosen mucus and promotes drainage, much like hot tea, another cold and flu staple.

Vetter recalls a study that showed chicken noodle soup actually assists the immune system.

"There may be some science in there," he says.

Orange producers often tout that a glass of OJ will keep the doctor away, to alter the common adage.

While the water-soluble vitamin C helps create collagen and prevents the pirate-plaguing scurvy, it isn't proven to prevent respiratory infections, Nyhus and Vetter say.

"A lot of people will take a lot of vitamin C to head it off or when they first feel symptoms," Vetter says. "There's not data to support that vitamin C makes any difference at all."

Some people down a thimble of whiskey or brandy, often in a hot toddy, when congested.As they say, "in vino, veritas." ("In wine, truth")

Alcohol causes blood vessels to relax, which might give a feeling of relief, Nyhus says.

Cough syrups often contain alcohol, Vetter points out.

"The alcohol sedates people a bit, they'll maybe sleep a little better," Vetter says.

Beyond that, there's no direct effect on the infection.

While mothers everywhere shout "you'll catch your death" to keep kids bundled up and inside until their hair dries, being cold does not cause you to catch a cold, the doctors say.

"You catch colds and flu from other people. You don't catch it from the cold air," Vetter says.

Nyhus often hears of people piling on blankets in hopes of breaking a fever. But bundling up excessively doesn't stop an infection.

"A fever is ultimately going to break," he says. Bundling up excessively "only makes it go higher."

This can be dangerous, especially for children, by increasing the risk of a fever-related seizure.

Vetter says people should cover themselves to feel comfortable.

Plugging in a humidifier or breathing in steam can relieve congestion. But Vetter warns that warm humidity can encourage the growth of bacteria. Hospitals now generally use cool-mist humidifiers, he says. The water should be changed every day.

Also, the common practice of adding a topical ointment such as Vicks VapoRub to the humidifier should be avoided, Vetter says. Because it is a lipid, the fat can end up in the lungs, making pneumonia worse, he says.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Sherri Richards at (701) 241-5525