5 Common Cold Silly Old Wives Tales

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5 Common Cold Silly Old Wives Tales

Five Common Cold Myths Old Wife Tales?

We are heading into Cold and Flu season.  

What is the Common Cold? It’s time for  the Rhinovirus  virus (the virus that causes the common cold) to return.  The virus will appear every where, form  schools to the work place.  For century’s, there have been tales of cures for the common cold.  Some of these cures go back 100’s and 100’s of ears.  Many have turned from fiction, to fact.

Do not be fooled by these age-old Common Cold remedies, because they don’t work.

Med-Q Smart Pill Box has provided a short list of some of the myths surrounding the supposed cures for the common cold.

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Do Not Drink Milk because it will cause mucus build up

Many of us have been advised by well-meaning friends and or relative not to drink milk when one is ill.  The common cold myth is that  milk will cause added phlegm production is simply not true.  Many reports have come to the conclusion , drinking milk will  not cause higher congestion and mucus.  In fact,  when on is coughing up massive quantities of mucus it is not because of drinking milk, it is a symptom of the common cold

Mega Doses of Vitamin C 

There is some disagreement among health care professionals regarding the impact if Vitamin C on the prevention or relief of the common cold.  Many researchers feel Vitamin C is helpful ,while other feel that the evidence shows no positive correlation.  Most health care professionals feel that  Vitamin C may help at the very start of a cold , by shortening it’s duration.  So when your grandma tells you to stuff oranges,give it a try, it certainly can’t hurt. However, if granny make you pound down orange juice, read on.

Drink Lots of orange juice

Every one thinks, oranges have vitamin C, so you should drink a lot of OJ.  This may be wrong.  Most Mass marketed  brands of OJ are nothing more than  an orange sugar mixture.   The data shows that sugar may actually hinder the  absorption of the  vitamin deep in the  tubular epithelial cells   What does that mean?  Ones own Tubular epithelial cells are located in the kidney. This is where the vitamin C  is absorbed in to tones own blood stream.   In fact, all the increased in sugar will then hinder the absorption and the vitamin C will be passed in the urine.  Yes, orange juice does have vitamin C, but it may not have the desired impact on the common cold and may even have a negative effect.

Is it “Feed the cold, starve the fever”?

Which is it , feed a cold or starve a cold.  Either way , this  Old Wives’  has no supporting evidence.  In fact,the amazing human body has an immune response to either situation. The body comes equipped with different kinds of molecules for signalling the immune system to the bodies current state..    Starving yourself as well as stuffing yourself has no effect other that possibly a placebo effet.

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best smart pill reminder with alarmsTake antibiotics for the common cold

Many people will load up their smart pill box with antibiotics, their Vitamin C and other remedies.   This may not be a good idea to put antibiotics into your pillbox. Antibiotics are used to fight bacterial infections.  The common cold is caused by a Virus.  Since colds as well as the flu are from a virus,  antibiotics, are useless.  Taking antibiotics when not needed can help lower your immune system to future attacks and create Resistance in the viruses.  Not a good idea to treat the Common Cold.

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If you can’t remember whether you took your medication, what do you do?

What happens if you don’t remember if you took your medications?  When one is not sure if you took a pill, never, ever just take another dose yet. What could happen if you double dose?  If someone ingests an additional dose, the consequences can be deadly. In fact, an extra dose can raise the risk of harmful effects. Check your pill organizer, count the remaining pills in the bottle, or review the instructions that came with your prescription to find specific guidance. 

doctorHealth care profsionals are in agreement, “For most medications, it is safer to accidentally miss a single dose than to double dose” . Keep in mind that the pill/dosing guidelines vary drastically depending on the medication.  For example, it is different for  blood thinners or something like birth control.), it is always best to double-check with a professional.  If in doubt, call the local pharmacy you got the prescription filled.  Also, call e the America’s Poison Centers at 800-222-1222 .  This can help if you are concerned about over dosing. 

For further guidance, consult I can’t remember whether I took my medication, what do I do? on Medical News Today. To help prevent confusion in the future, you can implement some 9 Simple Strategies for Remembering To Take Your Medication or read the Why You Shouldn’t Skip Your Medication guide on WebMD.
 
If you are missing doses consistently, a few strategies can help get your routine back on track:
  • Use a weekly pillbox: These old fashion pill holders can be useful.   They show a quick visual cue to show which days  doses have been taken.
  • Use a Digital Pill Reminder: Medication reminders, like the Med-Q pill Box. have flashing guides.  These alarmed reminders help preventing over dosing. 
  • Try to do Habit stacking: Match up your daily pill-taking with a non-negotiable daily habit.  For example, your first cup of coffee or brushing yourhair.
  • Set electronic reminders: Use persistent reminder apps, alarm clocks, or simple smart phone alarm reminders.

What to do if Unsure?

The worry about over doing is real.  When unsure whether the dose has been taken, the best thing to do is speak with your health care provider or even your pharmacist. They will  advise you on the best course of action based on ythe specific medication. that is over dosed.

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If you take oral tablets or capsules, you can count how many pills you have left. If you know when you started taking the pills out of that prescription bottle, this could help you determine whether you’ve taken your dose for that day.

Sometimes, when you haven’t taken your medication, there may still be time to take that dose. However, this could depend on the drug and dosing schedule.

Although in some cases, if it’s almost time to take your next dose, your doctor may recommend skipping the missed dose and taking your next dose at its regular time. Never take two doses at once to make up for a missed dose as doing so could raise your risk of side effects.

What happens if you accidentally take your medication twice?

Do not take more of a drug than your doctor prescribes. While serious side effects may be rare, for some medications, taking more than the recommended amount may lead to harmful effects or overdose. Some of the most dangerous medications to double-dose include:

  • heart maintenece medications
  • ADHD drugs, for example “Adderall”
  • medications for Type 1 Diabetes
  • prescription narcotic pain pills
  • psychiatric medications , for example “Wellbutrin.”

If you have any doubt, act quickly. 

Fist of all, contact your doctor right away.  Let them know you may have accidentally taken two doses or three doses of your daily medication. They will offer up advice.  The Healthcare profesional can often advise of what steps to take.  Also, they will let you know about symptoms to watch out for.

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