Head Cold

[jd_1984]

Last few days I have a had a mild head cold, certainly not life threatening!
Instead of dosing up on off the shelf paracetemol products I decided to up my vitamic C intake, bit of "Vick's" on my pillow at night and use the steam room daily at the gym. I feel that I have recovered quicker and I am putting less stock in these paracetemol products now!!

[woofgang]

Well paracetamol doesn't cure a cold, it just takes away some of the symptoms, the same as vick and the steam room. Vit C will only help if you were deficient in it before you started taking it. If you don't treat a cold, it lasts around 14 days and if you do treat it it lasts around a fortnight!

[Eve]

I think it depends on the cold/germs. When colleagues came down with them the other week and it was spreading round people, I was dosing up on Vitamin C but I still got it, badly, along with a nasty chest infection.

I sometimes think I've headed a bad cold off by taking vitamin C etc... but I think it's a matter of chance, one way or another.

[jno]

cold bugs mutate so it's possible that the version you've had is a different and quicker one than previous colds. You can never really say you've got better more quickly than if you hadn't done something.

[anneasquith]

you could also put vick on your chest !

[Hopkirk]

I heard you need to increase zinc intake to bolster your immune system, to help you beat a cold virus.