As the colder weather sets in on the Northern hemisphere, what most will begin is to remain indoors to avoid the chilling weather. What accompanies is a shift in temperature, which increases the chances that one will catch the common cold, or god forbid the flu. This colder weather also signals the festive season where there’s increased human contact, enjoying the holidays with friends and family.
No one wants to pass on or contract a runny or plugged nose, nagging cough, or sore throat. So what needs to be understood, are how colds occur, starting with all the myths out there.
6- Getting A Flu Shot Causes Illness
Once the cold weather arrives, there are alerts from the medical community to get a flu shot, this for the purpose of avoiding the influenza virus, which is rampant this time of year. Since the flu shot contains small amounts of the actual flu virus that leads to the actual flu, many believe that it can contribute to contracting the flu itself, once receiving the shot.
There’s simply no clinical proof, that getting an injection which contains a tiny amount of the flu virus, causes any harm. Although getting a flu shot may have a temporary impact on the body, such as swelling in the area of the shot, it won’t leave you feeling overly tired to not attend work, or miss other important activities. Flu shots are recommended for those with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly.
5 – Consuming Dairy Worsens A Cold
This is reaching “old wives tales” proportions, where some believe that consuming dairy products, such as milk or cheese, can do is worsen the common cold. There’s no scientific evidence however that supports this claim, that adding additional mucous worsens an existing cold. So eating yogurt, cheese, ice cream, or drinking milk, helps rather than hinders being sick.
Since you need plenty of fluids, it’s recommended to drink milk, without the worry that the illness will get worse. The best fluid to consume however, when having a head cold is water. Keeping hydrated gives the immune system the ammunition it needs, to fight off the nasty virus.
4 – Loading Up On Vitamin C Helps
What’s often thought is that taking large doses of vitamin C during a cold, such as consuming plenty of citrus fruits, or taking lozenges and supplements, helps reduce its duration. What’s known for certain, is that vitamin C can indeed help “prevent” a cold from taking hold, this by boosting up the immune system, but it’s not certain it helps to eliminate it.
There’s no clinical studies which supports that consuming large amounts of vitamin C, will do anything to lessen the symptoms that’s associated with a head or body cold. So once you feel the symptoms of a cold coming on, is when you should be consuming oranges, grapefruits, or supplements, to fight it off in its tracks. Although fluids such as orange juice helps a full fledged miserable cold, it won’t help that much to reduce it.
