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Respiratory tract infections

Feature: Common cold

What is the common cold? How is it different from the flu? The cold is an infection that is usually caused by viruses and develops over a few days. It usually starts with a scratchy or sore throat.

Feature: Influenza

Influenza ("the flu") is not an ordinary cold. It hits harder, making you feel very ill very quickly, but symptoms usually improve within a week. Babies and toddlers, people who are over 65 and people with certain chronic diseases have a considerably higher risk of flu-related complications. There are several things you can do to lower the likelihood of infection.

Research summaries

Common colds: Can vitamin C prevent or relieve them?

Taking vitamin C every day to try to prevent colds does not protect most people from colds. It only slightly shortens the amount of time that they are ill. Starting to take vitamin C at the first sign of a cold does not affect the course of the cold. more...

Common colds: Does echinacea work?

It is not clear whether echinacea extracts can prevent colds. Some echinacea products might help to reduce the length and severity of a cold if taken at the very beginning. Because the available products are very different to one another, more research is needed. Adverse effects are rare. more...

Common colds: Is it better to take antibiotics or not?

It does not make sense to use antibiotics for simple colds. These drugs have no proven benefit, and can have adverse effects. 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...

Common colds: Wait before trying antibiotics?

If there does not appear to be any medical need for antibiotics to treat a simple cold, waiting one to two days can avoid unnecessary adverse effects. more...

Sore throats: Do antibiotics help?

Taking antibiotics as a precaution can shorten the symptoms of sore throats by between half a day and one day. There is a risk of side effects, though. And using antibiotics too often can make bacteria resistant. more...

Influenza: Do antiviral drugs like Tamiflu work and what are their adverse effects?

Antiviral influenza drugs can make flu symptoms go away a bit sooner. But they only help if they are taken within 48 hours after a person becomes ill. They can cause nausea and other adverse effects too. more...

Acute respiratory tract infections: Can Umckaloabo or Kaloba relieve symptoms?

There is some weak evidence that in respiratory tract infections an extract from the root of the Pelargonium sidoides could shorten the length of the illness and relieve symptoms. Yet this remedy can have adverse effects, for example gastrointestinal problems. more...

Acute sinusitis: Can antibiotics help?

In acute sinusitis, antibiotics usually cannot help, because it is normally caused by viruses, not by bacteria. In a severe infection antibiotics are necessary, however. more...