Common cold

Common colds: Does echinacea work?

It is not clear whether echinacea extracts can prevent colds. Taking some echinacea products when a cold starts might help to reduce the cold's length and severity. Because the available products are very different to one another, more research is needed to be sure. Adverse effects are rare. more...

Common colds: Can antibiotics help?

The adverse effects of antibiotics probably outweigh the benefits of antibiotics for uncomplicated colds. They might be worthwhile only when a cold does not get better as fast as usual or there is bacterial infection. more...

Common colds: What happens if you wait before trying start antibiotics?

Antibiotics are not going to help most children with simple colds, and will only help with middle ear infections a bit. This needs to be balanced against the adverse effects, and waiting a day to start the antibiotics might mean they are no longer needed. more...

Common colds: Should we follow the "drink more fluids" advice?

There is no medical reason to drink more than you feel like drinking when you have a cold. more...

Sore throats: Do antibiotics help?

Antibiotics can shorten sore throats caused by infections by less than day. There are adverse effects, though, so that weighing up the pros and cons is an individual exercise. more...

Common colds: Can vitamin C prevent or relieve them?

Taking vitamin C every day does not prevent colds for most people. People will not recover from a cold more quickly if they start to take vitamin C when the symptoms of a cold start. Taking vitamin C every day could shorten the amount of time you are sick with colds by a very small amount. more...