The cold season has begun.
But there’s something worse out there: the plethora of esoteric remedies to allegedly prevent and cure the common cold, like…
- Rubbing Vicks on your feet
- Sticking your face above a bowl of hot, scented water
- A swig of gin and/or cayenne and/or oregano oil
- Sweating out the virus
- The mustard plaster
- Flu busters
- Putting something in your bum (like suppositories)
- Chicken noodle soup
- Cough syrups
- Antibiotics
Being a pharmacist, I get asked about those all the time. And really, I don’t care if people wanna use medication, natural health products or home remedies… as long as what they do is safe, effective, evidence-based and science-based.
Would you like to know what works and what doesn’t? Here are the TOP 10 useless remedies for the common cold. Please laugh at each of them. They deserve it.
Translated by Valentin Nguyen; edits and proofreading by Robyn Penney.
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References :
– Trial with swallowed, not inhaled, eucalyptol: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12645832
– Oregano oil is toxic: http://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/ingredReq.do?id=4359&lang=fra
– Amount of alcohol in a slug of gin: http://educalcool.qc.ca/en/alcohol-and-you/health/low-risk-drinking/
– Gwyneth Paltrow and the sweating thing: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/gwyneth-paltrow-criticised-for-suggesting-people-can-get-rid-of-flu-by-sitting-in-a-sauna-a6700291.html
– Echinacea: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24554461
– Vitamin C: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23440782
– Zinc: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21769305
– Ginseng: http://www.cmaj.ca/content/186/3/190.long
– Garlic: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25386977
– Suppositories for the cold are contra-indicated in Europe: http://www.prescrire.org/Fr/3/31/47731/0/2012/ArchiveNewsDetails.aspx
– Chicken noodle soup: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11035691
– About humidifiers: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/household-products/cool-mist-humidifiers.html
– Complete nasal irragation procedure with a Neti pot: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm316375.htm
–DM and diphenhydramine are not effective for the cough: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15231978
– Codeine is not effective for the cough: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17218808
– Guaifenesin is not effective as an expectorant: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22895922
– Using antibiotics wisely: http://www.choosingwiselycanada.org/
Great info and very funny, as always. Keep up the great work!
Thanks so much Chris!
Olivier
[…] And here’s the original: […]
That is just brilliant. It was a pleasure to meet you tonight, and to discover your blog.
(The only thing that I might dispute is that Eucalyptus can relieve a cough -nothing can do that, it seems.)
It is shocking to me that the UK MHRA continues to endorse ‘cough remedies’. See, for example, http://www.dcscience.net/2012/11/20/some-medicines-that-dont-work-why-doesnt-the-mhra-tell-us-honestly/
And it was an honour for me to meet you Dr Colquhoun!
« The only thing that I might dispute is that Eucalyptus can relieve a cough -nothing can do that, it seems. »
Hahaha I agree 🙂
The sentence was worded a bit too strongly. I’ll rephrase it slightly.
Thanks so much for your comment!
Olivier
Of 4 people who are recovering from the Corona virus in my neighborhood I am the only one who did not end up in ER on oxygen – the only thing I did differently to my friends and sister – Hot mustard plaster on chest with heat applied on top with electric heating pad. I know it worked.