have a cold-blooded suck – and so , heroic for any backup from the unceasing coughing and annoyingly mushy nozzle , the great unwashed have turned to all sort of bizarre remedies . From onions in your socks to flushing your nose out , let ’s feel out whether some of them really run .
Before we get started though , it ’s important to have it away that , at least in practice of medicine , there ’s adistinctionbetween remedy and cures : curative declare oneself to temporarily relieve symptom , while cures resolve them only . The bad tidings is that there’sno cure for the common coldness , but we can at least look into whether necking some snail syrup will actually give you some respite .
Onions in your socks
Various cultures have believed the low onion to have medicinal properties throughout history – and somehow , that ’s since evolved into putting sliced - up onions in your socks in an endeavour to relieve the symptom of a cold .
This is a “ cure ” that has no literal scientific research to back it up ; a quick search on Google Scholar or PubMed will confirm that to you . We ca n’t say we ’re entirely surprised that scientists have n’t found any grounds for it – though if they did and discover out it actually did body of work , they ’d more than certainly have a shot at bring home the bacon anIg Nobel .
Of course , given the lack of scientific grounds either elbow room about oniony wind sleeve , you could argue that means there ’s at least some chance that it might still work – but frankly , is the spirit really deserving that unlikely possibility ? If you ’d care to alien everyone around you , then peradventure .
Nasal rinsing
Perhaps the risky part of a cold is a stuffy nozzle ; not being able-bodied to breathe as you unremarkably would is zero pct merriment . Luckily , there ’s a remedy that actually can process for some hoi polloi , even if it can get a little gross : nasal rinse .
Using containers designed for the job such as neti pots and thrust bottles , itinvolvestilting your head down and obliquely and then pour slightly warm , sterilized saltiness water into one anterior naris as you breathe through your mouth . This aid to level mucus out of the nasal passages , which becomes ostensible when it either starts drip out of the other anterior naris along with the water or when you waste your nozzle afterward .
While this can be pretty good , it ’s important that os nasale rinse is donesafely . That means using distilled , unsex , or boiled ( and then cooled ! ) tap water is a must . Though rare , using unsterilized dab water can result inamoeba infection , which can be serious .
likewise , it ’s essential to keep the equipment clean , as that could otherwise introduce microbic nasties – and the last thing you need when you ’ve take a cold is more of those .
As another option , you’re able to pick up peculiarly design nonmedicated saline nasal consonant spray from a pharmacy , which offer the same decongesting benefits and might be easier for some masses to use .
Snail slime
As stinky as it might seem , snail - free-base products such as syrup , paste , and even chocolate havereportedlybeen in function as remedies for colds at least since the 1800s . Nowadays , in countries such as France , a syrup containing proteins extracted from the mucus ofHelix pomatiasnails can be found in chemist’s as a cough medicine .
Unlike oniony socks , there has actually been some scientific investigating into this sirup , bonk as helicidine , and its potential anti - coughing effects – it ’s just not very good .
A number of thestudiesare outdated , having been conducted in the fifties . One1999 studylooked into how it could potentially operate to relax airway sinew , but the results were far from conclusive and the subject field was done in greaseball pig tissue rather than living beings .
Researchfrom 2001 paint a picture helicidine was effective in reducing the frequency and duration of cough episodes in affected role with chronic obstructive pulmonic disease , but a ) that ’s a different kettle of Pisces to the common common cold and b ) it was only carried out in a small number of patient , so the issue ca n’t really be generalized . It ’s perhaps unsurprising then , that a2016 reviewfound there was “ no published clinical evidence to support helicidine ’s action in penetrating cough or sharp bronchitis . ”
What can help
While we remain without a curative for the vulgar frigidness , there are some tried and truerecommendationsfor symptom respite that are much unproblematic than stocking up on alliums or civilize escargot mucous secretion . agree to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC ) , these let in getting good deal of rest andfluids , and direct painkillers if you ask them .
Colds usually improve by themselves – which might also explicate why some people think their weird curative have work , when really it ’s just a coincidence – but if symptom continue for more than 10 day , then the good thing to do is seek medical care .
All “ explainer ” articles are confirmed byfact checkersto be right at time of publication . Text , mental image , and link may be edited , removed , or added to at a later date to keep information current .
The subject of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice , diagnosing , or treatment . Always assay the advice of restricted health providers with question you may have regarding medical conditions .
