Our obsession with the common cold has unpleasant side effects
A common cold usually goes away in seven to 10 days. The symptoms — nasal congestion, runny nose, coughing and sneezing — are irritating but generally pretty mild. So why are people obsessed with this minor ailment when there are so many more severe conditions and diseases to find cures for?
I’m not sure, but I can tell you that our obsession with ridding ourselves of colds had had some unpleasant side effects.
Too many people call the doctor the moment they get the sniffles. They set up an appointment, complain of their minor symptoms, and expect the doctor to do something about it.
If the patient is given the traditional advice — “Get plenty of rest. Drink lots of fluids. Try an over-the-counter medication to relieve your symptoms. Have a bowl of chicken soup.” — the physician is met with a blank stare.
The patient hasn’t come to the doctor for advice. They’ve come for a prescription. And too often, they are given one — for an antibiotic.
In all but a very small percentage of cases, the antibiotic won’t help at all. It can even make things worse. And over time, the over-prescribing of antibiotics will make them less effective for all of us when we do need them.
Our obsession with curing our colds has had other side effects. It has led to the use of homeopathic remedies and other concoctions not approved by the FDA.
One of these is Zicam Cold Remedy nasal gel.
Earlier this month, the FDA said this product can cause you to lose your sense of smell. Forever. The product contains zinc, which scientists believe may damage the nerves needed for smell.
Upon receiving an FDA warning, Zicam’s maker pulled it from the shelves. The FDA says there is no evidence the product worked to begin with. According to the AP:
Government scientists say they are unaware of any data supporting Zicam’s labeling, which claims the drug reduces cold symptoms, including “sore throat, stuffy nose, sneezing, coughing and congestion.”
Look at what we are doing to ourselves in our quest to find something that works better than chicken soup! It’s crazy.
When you have a cold, impatience is not rewarded — it is punished. You have to give yourself time to recover. Take it easy for a few days. Get some rest. If you don’t, chances are your cold will just last longer.
Are there times when prescription drugs are needed for a cold? Only if the cold turns into something else, like sinusitus, in which case an antibiotic is appropriate. Schering-Plough is developing an antiviral drug, pleconaril, designed to fight colds. But as of today, there are no antiviral drugs approved to treat the common cold.
