Researchers Evaluate Common Cold Origins and Treatments

Most of us associate the signs of the common cold: sniffles, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, and sore throat - with the chillier climes of fall and winter. In the midst of summer fun, it can be difficult to imagine being stricken with these tell-tale symptoms.

In truth, however, colds aren?t strictly confined to the winter months. In fact, they can strike any time of the year. Rather than climate or temperature, it?s our exposure to germs that leads to this type of illness. As children across the country prepare to return to school, doctors are gearing up for a tidal wave of common cold transmission.

The term ?common cold? is something of a misnomer. The illnesses that we describe with this phrase actually span a broad spectrum of more than 200 viruses. At the current juncture, most people respond to the onset of cold symptoms by buying over-the-counter medicine and stocking up on tissues. This is due to the fact that unlike bacterial infections, viruses can?t be ?cured? in the traditional sense of the term. Increasingly, though, people afflicted with cold symptoms are turning to non-traditional treatment methods to ease their discomfort.

Because of the widespread prevalence of cold viruses and the massive losses in workplace productivity and school attendance that they generate each year, researchers have continued to study the common cold. Over the last several years, several significant studies assessing the effectiveness of common cold treatments have been released. This week, we?ll take a look at the findings of three recent studies that have focused on this all-too-familiar ailment.

For Most, Vitamin C is Ineffective as a Treatment for the Common Cold

It seems like everyone you ask has their own strategy for avoiding the common cold. A particularly popular belief holds that vitamin C can help you avoid infection. As a result, sales of this supplement often soar during the winter months.

However, according to a recent study conducted by scientists at the University of Helsinki, vitamin C has virtually no power to prevent, cure, or lessen most strains of the viruses behind the common cold. In a large-scale study that analyzed the health data of over 11,000 patients, it was found that most average people did not benefit from vitamin C supplementation. Specifically, most of those who consistently consumed vitamin C supplements bore the same risk of contracting a cold virus as those who did not take the supplements.

The only category of study participants who did clearly benefit from vitamin C supplementation were the small group of individuals who were regularly under extreme physical duress, such as marathon runners or elite athletes. Among this group, vitamin C supplementation cut the risk of contracting the common cold by up to 50%.

Effectiveness of Echinacea as Common Cold Treatment, Prevention Demonstrated

The herb Echinacea is another popular holistic treatment for the common cold that has attained widespread popularity in recent years. However, unlike many other herbal concoctions whose efficacy and even safety have been called into question, the preventive and treatment impact of Echinacea appear to have been proven definitively in several recent studies.

The findings of a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Connecticut demonstrate strong support for Echinacea?s effectiveness as a common cold prevention method and treatment. According to the researchers, study participants who consistently took Echinacea supplements were 58% less likely to catch a cold virus than their counterparts who did not take the supplements. When the individuals taking Echinacea were infected with a cold, their symptoms disappeared, on average, 1.4 days sooner than they did among non-supplement-takers.

Despite Controversy, Most Researchers Agree That Zinc Lozenges Reduce Cold Duration

Over the last several years, several studies have reached seemingly contradictory conclusions on the subject of the effectiveness of zinc lozenges as a method of prevention or treatment for the common cold. In 1999, the FDA levied a massive fine on an herbal supplement company that it claimed was making promises about zinc?s cold-fighting properties that had not been substantiated by research.

However, several analyses of all of the research conducted on zinc supplementation to date have come to the conclusion that zinc lozenges do appear to have a significant impact in fighting the common cold. Although the preventive capabilities of zinc lozenges are limited or negligible at best, several prominent research groups have concluded that zinc lozenges reduce both the length and the intensity of the common cold in most otherwise-healthy adults. However, most feel that additional research is needed to determine the optimal dosage instructions for zinc supplementation.

Before treating your own common cold, check with your doctor to rule out any other possible causes of your symptoms. And be sure to check back each week for more of the breaking health news that matters to you!