Myths of the Common Cold

Every year around cold and flu season, we hear the old wives tales about the common cold, feed a cold and starve a fever, and so on and so forth.  But what tales are indeed true and which ones are myths?  Here we touch on a few of those true tales and debunk some others.

Chicken Soup:  So grandma always said that chicken soup is good to fight the common cold and she was half right, chicken soup has been shown to relieve inflammation.

Wet hair: Going outside with wet hair will not cause the common cold, but that doesn't mean that you should do it either.

Feed a cold, starve a fever:  This is the one that has enough calories.

Wearing a coat: Common colds and the flu are caused by viruses not by temperature. And while they do circulate more during the winter months, you are more likely to pick up a cold or the flu inside more so than outside so wearing a coat or not wearing a coat does not indicate whether or not you will catch a cold.  Studies show that you can actually prevent some colds by getting physical exercise outdoors during the winter months.

Vicks Vapor Rub on Your Feet:  A widely spread email last year stated that you should put Vicks Vapor Rub on your kids feet and put socks on them to get rid of a nagging cough.  This myth was debunked and experts suggest that you should stick to using the vapor rub on your kid's chest and throat instead.