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This Is What Actually Helps When Sick with a Cold or Flu<\/p>\n
Should you take vitamin C or zinc when you are sick with a common cold or influenza? Immunologist Zachary Rubin explains which at-home remedies actually help.<\/p>\n
By Zachary Rubin edited by Kelso Harper<\/span><\/p>\n This video is part of \u201cInnovations In: RSV,” an editorially independent special report that was produced with financial support from MSD, Sanofi and AstraZeneca.<\/p>\n Zachary Rubin: If you have a cold, should you sweat it out? Should you take zinc or something called fire cider from your neighbor\u2019s Etsy shop? Let\u2019s find out what actually helps\u2014and what doesn\u2019t\u2014when you\u2019re sick with a cold or flu.<\/p>\n If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.<\/p>\n Vitamin C might shorten a cold by about half a day. That\u2019s it. And that\u2019s if you take it consistently before getting sick, not just after you\u2019re already sneezing into your sleeve.<\/p>\n Zinc lozenges? There\u2019s some evidence they can help, but only if you take them within 24 hours of your first symptoms. Wait too long? It\u2019s a no-go. Also, nausea, metallic taste and stomach cramps can be side effects.<\/p>\n Antibiotics don\u2019t treat viruses. That cold, that flu\u2014those are viruses, and using antibiotics when you don\u2019t need them contributes to antibiotic resistance. That\u2019s a big deal.<\/p>\n So here\u2019s what actually helps when you\u2019re sick with a viral illness like the cold or flu.<\/p>\n Neti pots can be helpful for congestion if you use them safely. That means using sterile or distilled water. Tap water can harbor dangerous organisms, especially for your sinuses.<\/p>\n Drinking fluids helps thin your mucus, which can also ease congestion. And staying hydrated just helps your body work better.<\/p>\n Acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help with fevers, headaches and body aches. Honey can soothe a cough or sore throat in kids over the age of one. Last, but certainly not least, rest is crucial for your immune system to function properly.<\/p>\n Just remember: not everything that sounds \u201cnatural\u201d is safe. And not everything in a bottle actually helps. So when in doubt, ask your doctor.<\/p>\n If you enjoyed this article, I\u2019d like to ask for your support. Scientific American<\/span> has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been a Scientific American<\/span> subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm <\/span>always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.<\/p>\n If you subscribe to Scientific American<\/span>, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.<\/p>\n In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can’t-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world’s best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.<\/p>\n There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you\u2019ll support us in that mission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This Is What Actually Helps When Sick with a Cold or Flu Should you take vitamin C or zinc when you are sick with a common cold or influenza? Immunologist Zachary Rubin explains which at-home remedies actually help. By Zachary Rubin edited by Kelso Harper This video is part of \u201cInnovations In: RSV,” an editorially<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[450,9645,4255,17856,2292],"class_list":{"0":"post-30430","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-athome","9":"tag-cold","10":"tag-flu","11":"tag-remedies","12":"tag-sick"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30430"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30430\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}On supporting science journalism<\/h2>\n
It\u2019s Time to Stand Up for Science<\/h2>\n