Personal Health

Common cold myths: These 6 pieces of advice you can confidently forget

Cough, runny nose, sore throat and co. can throw you quite off the track. Unfortunately, it caught almost everyone at some point.

And then you hear of anywhere advice on how to get rid of an infection quickly.

A lot of water and tea to drink, a Aspirin Complex or Vitamin C-swallow tablets – these six tips, you can according to Stiftung Warentest forget:

1. Herbal remedies are the best

Whether teas with willow bark and Madensüß or infusions with thyme and elderberry: Herbal remedy for infections to do good, they can improve the course of a cold, but is not sufficiently substantiated.

Only the immune-boosting effect of Echinacea were able to demonstrate study, however, only in adults and only then, if Diseased, the plant extracts take at the beginning of the common cold.

2. Drink a lot is very important

A sufficient amount of drink is known to be an important part of a balanced diet. The absorbed liquid activates the metabolism and ensures that the organs are supplied with oxygen.

Drinking a lot can harm the body. In addition, there is no scientific evidence that healing is accelerated by especially drink plenty of water.

3. Antibiotics always help

This myth persists, but is actually nonsense. Because antibiotics can only fight bacteria, some against viruses, they are useless.

Colds, however, are caused by viruses. Only if, as a result of the disease bacteria, such on the attacked mucous membranes, another infectious cause, you should grab according to Stiftung Warentest to Antibiotics.

4. Vitamin C is the best medicine

Vitamin C is important for health, most people can meet their needs, however, about the diet (e.g., red peppers and oranges contain much Vitamin C). That extra Vitamin C is a cold faster abklinken, is not scientifically proven.

High doses of tablets have also of no Use, excess amounts of Vitamin C cannot be stored in the body anyway.

5. Inhale destroys infections in the Nu

Nice idea, Although can promote steam baths the blood circulation in the mucous membranes and loosen up the mucous, but more also not.

Nevertheless, many patients feel the Inhalation of water vapor as a relaxing.

6. Aspirin Complex is the last rescue

Combination agents such as Aspirin Complex can alleviate the symptoms, but not the cold itself, fighting. Medicine experts of the Stiftung Warentest therefore do not recommend such drugs to combat cough, runny nose and headache at the same time, rather.

Julia Are

*The contribution of the “common cold myths: These 6 pieces of advice you can safely forget” comes from FitForFun. There is no editorial review by FOCUS Online. Contact with the executives here.