No one likes being sick over the holidays, so it’s time for a round-up of popular tactics to beat colds and flu. Which remedies actually help if you do get sick? One caveat: always discuss treatments and therapies with your doctor first!

Staying Healthy

Take a multivitamin? As their fine-print labels declare, multivitamins and supplements are “not intended to cure or prevent any disease.” Research is mixed on whether popular remedies such as Vitamin C, Echinacea and Zinc actually shorten the duration of a cold  (Source: WebMD). While multivitamins can help round out an imperfectly balanced diet, they won’t necessarily protect you from the flu (Source: WebMD).

Try nasal irrigation? Nasal rinses relieve congestion by loosening and removing mucus, allergens and irritants.  Using a neti pot or a similar tool for flushing the sinuses with saline solution at the onset of symptoms (but not as a long term practice) seems to be the most beneficial strategy. If you do get sick, nasal washing is an effective alternative or complement to decongestants (Source: WebMD).

Hand-washing vs. hand sanitizer?  Frequent hand-washing improves the odds of wellness through cold and flu season, provided it is done correctly. Use soap and clean running water to lather up, scrubbing all surfaces of the hands including under fingernails for at least 20 seconds, then rinse and dry with a clean towel. Hand sanitizers of at least 60% alcohol are adequate when soap and water is not available, although they are not appropriate for cleaning visibly dirty hands (Source: CDC).

Get a flu shot? Like many health questions, this one comes with some controversy. Though flu shots are widely recommended, there are also vehement criticisms of the vaccination, and not everyone can take it in any case. The CDC gives detailed information about this year’s influenza season to answer your questions about the vaccination.

Home Remedies

Do chicken soup, boiled lemons and herbal tea really help? Chicken soup acts as an anti-inflammatory and temporarily stimulates mucus movement. Clear broth, juice, boiled lemons with honey and plain old water fight a cold both by keeping the body hydrated and by loosening congestion. A note of caution: though hot liquids feel soothing to a sore throat, stick with caffeine-free herbal teas, as caffeine will worsen dehydration (Source: Mayo Clinic).

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