Treatment & Therapeutics
At the end of the day, choosing a flu remedy is trial and error until you find something that will make you more comfortable - Aviva Romm MD
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Zinc? Honey? Ginger? What Actually Helps When You Have a Cold or the Flu?
“There’s a saying that if you treat a cold, it goes away in seven days, if you leave it alone, it goes away in a week,” said Dr. Aviva Romm, a physician who specializes in integrative medicine.
But for generations, countless home remedies — cups of warm tea or soups and spoonfuls of herbs — have helped manage cold and flu symptoms, like a sore throat or congestion. Scientists have conducted research over the years attempting to quantify how effective some of those remedies are, how frequently they should be used and what formulations work best. But the studies are often small or don’t show much efficacy.
Resources
How to Prep for Cold and Flu Season Right Now, Before You Get Sick
Buy a thermometer, keep your pantry and medicine chest well stocked, and make a plan if you live alone.
Something to Sneeze At
Natural remedies that claim to “boost your immune system” don’t work, and it’s a good thing they don’t.
We should isolate when we have flu, not just covid-19
Many companies now have policies against going into workplaces when ill, but it has taken a global pandemic to highlight what should be a basic ethical norm: an individual should be responsible for reducing the risk of passing on the pathogens they catch. One of the lessons of the covid-19 pandemic is that public health is everyone’s responsibility – or it should be.
The State of the Art of Flu Prevention and Treatment
You know the flu from first-hand experience, but what do you really know about it? Brush up on the facts—and learn about some recent developments.
New Ideas to Fight the Flu
How about a shot of ultraviolet light instead of a flu shot? With seasonal vaccines often proving ineffective, researchers work on germ-killing lamps and a ‘universal vaccine’ to keep the virus at bay.
The FDA Approves a New Flu Drug—And it's a Game Changer
The new technique, which blocks the enzyme needed by the virus to replicate itself, has been shown to work against the many drug-resistant strains that have sprung up in recent years, such as the common A and B strains. "If it's effective, it will be a game changer.”
The Top 4 Flu Treatments That Do Not Work (And 2 That Do)
Flu season is upon us, and your local pharmacy may feature special displays with products claiming to cure or treat the flu (which is caused by the influenza virus). The array of products, and the claims featured on their packaging, can be bewildering. Which of them should you buy? Here is a quick guide. (Spoiler: if you want to know what really works, skip to the end.)
Zinc? Honey? Ginger? What Actually Helps When You Have a Cold or the Flu?
Here’s what we know about some of the most popular remedies that show at least a little promise.
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