Suzie Cohen

They have been around for years and chances are, you have probably experimented with (and maybe even believed) one or two of them. Here are some myths and the truths behind them!

Antibiotics are the only way to cure the common cold.
Many people turn to antibiotics, when in fact, antibiotics do not help a cold. This is because antibiotics treat bacterial infections while colds are caused by viruses. What's more, overuse of antibiotics has led to increasingly resistant bacteria, which means when you really do have a bacterial infection, antibiotics may not be able to treat it.

Cold weather causes the common cold.
Cold weather has never been linked as the cause of a cold. Some theories suggest that the increase of the occurrence of the common cold during colder months is because more people gather indoors with little circulation where the viruses are more likely to spread.

Eating chicken soup is a popular way to cure the common cold.
While eating a bowl of chicken soup certainly does feel soothing on a dry, scratchy throat, it has no special powers to cure a cold. However, chicken is a good source of protein, and the broth contains electrolytes, that will help you stay well nourished so that you have enough energy to fight off your cold.

Drinking milk causes increased nasal mucous during a cold.
Milk and mucous may look slightly similar but there is no evidence that drinking milk will increase the amount of mucous.

Starve a cold.
Cold sufferers should NOT starve a cold - in fact, that could only make it worse. You should eat a healthy, well-balanced diet so as to stay well nourished to effectively fight a cold!

Only people with a weak immune system can catch a cold.
Anyone can catch a cold once they have been exposed to the virus. In fact, nearly 95 percent of adults with healthy immune systems have caught a cold when exposed to the virus.