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.
"Drink plenty of fluids". It's a piece of advice we have all heard, especially when we have a cold, the flu or any other so-called upper respiratory tract infection. The idea behind this is that we lose fluids when we have a fever. There is also a belief that extra fluids can help relieve mucus buildup.
But this advice is an example of a long-held belief for which there is no scientific or medical basis. Researchers from the Cochrane Collaboration tried to find out if there are any trials that can answer the question of whether increasing fluid intake can really help with upper respiratory tract infections. They also looked for any evidence that it might do harm.
The researchers found no trials of the practice at all. There is, then, no strong evidence for or against the "more fluids" advice. The researchers came to the conclusion that people with upper respiratory tract infections like cold and flu can just drink what feels right for them. Warm drinks could help ease sore throats, for example. But there is no medical reason to drink more than is comfortable.
- Created (German version): February 14th 2006 10:00
- Last update: April 17th 2006 15:32
- History: Show list
- Source: Guppy MPB, Mickan SM, Del Mar CB. Advising patients to increase fluid intake for treating acute respiratory infections. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 4 of 2005. (Cochrane Database)