Colds
Flu Watch for 1/1/2026 and Outbreak Update-3–I…
Welcome to our latest update on influenza (Flu Watch for 1/1/2026) and other circulating nasties (Outbreak Update-3). Back on November 17, 2025, we wrote an article titled "Flying Blind into Influenza…
Can You Boost Your Immune System with Extra Zinc…
Most people would like to improve their immune function at this time of year. Viruses that cause colds and influenza are everywhere and even vigorous hand washing may not protect you from coming down …
Can You Use Oil of Oregano with Confidence?
For years, readers have been telling us that they use oil of oregano as an antifungal or antimicrobial agent. Scientists have found data to support this use. For example, oregano oil applied topically…
Outbreak Update-2: Flu Surging, Norovirus Spikin…
Last week we asked you, a loyal reader, if you wanted to receive “Outbreak Updates.” After everything we have been through over the last few years, we assumed that most people would be tired of ad…
Outbreak Update-1: Flu Surges, Norovirus Spikes,…
Winter has settled in. Cold, damp or storm-ridden weather means people are hanging out indoors. And, based on our research, indoor air quality leaves a lot to be desired. This week’s “Outbreak Upd…
The Flu Is Back: Stop Wondering—Start Testing!
The CDC is behind...again! On December 4, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its weekly FluView for the week ending November 29, 2025. In reality, the data could be a week or …
Will Extra Vitamin C Prevent Colds?
Every winter, millions of people suffer with congestion, coughs, fever and other symptoms of the common cold. They may lose days from work. (If they don't take time off, they spread the virus causing …
Is There a Natural Herbal Remedy for Colds or Fl…
Colds that hit late in the season can be especially nasty. Might an herbal remedy for colds offer relief? Several readers suggest recipes for remedies you can make at home. Easing Sore Throat with Sli…
Turn the Vent On in an Airplane Plus Antihistami…
Is it possible to improve the air you breathe on an airplane? What about that little vent over your seat? Can it do anything to help enhance air quality? If you suffer a runny nose while flying, what …
Zinc for the Common Cold…Just NOT in the N…
People have been searching for a cure for the common cold for centuries. To date, we have seen nothing that actually overcomes cold viruses the way antibiotics conquer bacteria. (By the way, antibioti…
Astepro — An Allergy Spray That May Ward Off V…
Have you caught COVID-19 again? We have been surprised and disappointed that so many friends and family members have caught the SARS-CoV-2 virus this summer and fall. Even those who avoided earlier va…
Sniffing Astepro or Inhaling Heparin to Prevent …
Two inexpensive drugs are turning out to be surprisingly effective against COVID. One is the anticoagulant heparin. The other is an antihistamine nasal spray sold over the counter as Astepro (azelasti…
Will Onion Cough Remedy Help Your Cold?
Every fall or winter, we hear from people who'd like to share their favorite family remedies for coughs, colds and flu. We haven't conducted research on any of these, but one that keeps cropping up ye…
Sniffing Out New Treatments for COVID (Azelastin…
First, a confession. I am extremely disappointed in the pharmaceutical industry and modern medicine. If you have been reading my posts for years, you are probably not surprised at such a statement. Wh…
Overdosing on Acetaminophen in Cold and Flu Reme…
Many over-the-counter medicines marketed for treating colds and flu contain acetaminophen (paracetamol in the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand). This non-aspirin pain reliever helps lower fever. …
Beware Unnecessary Antibiotics from Urgent Care …
Have you ever visited an urgent care center or a retail clinic (like those found in some pharmacies)? It can be a convenient way to get medical attention when your regular doctor won't have an appoint…
Have You Tried Elderberry to Ease Your Cold Symp…
What is your favorite cold remedy? Sometimes people rely on drugstore products, but they may not be aware of the potential side effects from a multi-symptom cold product. As a result, we frequently pr…
Show 1431: Vitamin C Studies on Colds & Can…
This week, two scientists discuss the evidence on using vitamin C to treat colds and as part of the treatment for cancer. For years, the medical establishment has maintained that such claims could not…
Do You Know This Surprisingly Versatile “L…
One of the best things about writing a newspaper column or blog is that we learn fascinating things from you, our readers. Some time ago, we heard from one person about a versatile Lowcountry herb som…
Tincture of Thyme Fended Off Cold
Physicians don't usually learn much in medical school about herbs, home remedies or even dietary supplements. As a result, they often tend to be skeptical of these unconventional approaches to healing…
Why You Should Sip Chicken Soup for a Cold
When cold viruses are on the loose, you need a few trustworthy remedies to help with sniffles and coughs. One of our favorites is a hot bowl of homemade chicken soup for a cold. When our kids were lit…
Stay Home When Sick…Unless You Are A Healt…
The CDC urges most people who come down with flu symptoms to "stay home and avoid contact with others except to get medical care." You could extend that advice to just about all communicable diseases …
The Sexdemic: Why Infections Seem Worse Than Eve…
Many Americans gathered with friends and family over the holidays. That meant hugs and togetherness. There have also been sporting events. College basketball is a big deal where we live. Duke and UNC …
Show 1415: Can Home Remedies Help Overcome Cold …
This week, Joe & Terry invite listeners to share their favorite home remedies for colds. No one expects a remedy to shorten the duration of a cold–although perhaps one or two could! But many may…
Should You Worry About Norovirus or Germs on You…
Do you pay attention when you visit your local coffee shop? Can you observe the person who fills your mug or places the lid on your paper cup? Does that person wear disposable gloves? Are the gloves c…
Vitamin C Strikes Back in Combatting the Common …
Modern medicine has been unkind to Dr. Linus Pauling. Even though he is the only scientist in the world to have received two unshared Nobel Prizes, a lot of nutritionists and medical experts have crit…
Show 1369: What to Do If You Catch the Flu (Arch…
This week, we hear from pulmonologist Roger Seheult, MD, about ways we can strengthen our immune responses to respiratory infections. Seasonal influenza activity is high and still rising in most parts…
Linus Pauling Was Right About Vitamin C for Canc…
Modern medicine has not been kind to Dr. Linus Pauling. He is the only person to have received two unshared Nobel Prizes: one for Chemistry in 1954 and one for Peace in 1962. But it is his research in…
Vitamin C and the Common Cold: Will Ascorbic Aci…
One of the most contentious issues in modern medicine revolves around vitamins, especially vitamin C (aka ascorbic acid). For reasons that mystify us, most health professionals dismiss the value of vi…
Home Remedies or Brand Names for the Common Cold…
Doctors have abbreviations for anything that causes coughing, sneezing, sore throat, congestion and/or runny nose: URTI (upper respiratory tract infection) or the shorter version URI (upper respirator…
Show 1408: Roots & Remedies: The Practice a…
This week, we discuss how making your own herbal medicine at home can provide you with safe, inexpensive and effective ways to ease symptoms of common problems like colds, cuts and scrapes or heartbur…
Taking Garlic at the First Sign of a Cold
During cold season, it can be difficult to follow all the rules that are supposed to protect us from cold viruses. We can certainly wash our hands many times a day and refrain from touching our faces.…
Skip Cough and Cold Remedies for Something Bette…
When people come down with sniffles, sneezes, sore throats and coughs, they often turn to pain relievers and fever reducers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. They sometimes add decongestants or cough s…
Show 1378: Rediscovering the Power of Medicinal …
This week, two guests describe their work with the healing power of medicinal herbs. They draw upon family histories of herbalism along with their own studies of how to use botanical medicines. You ma…
Can Science Explain Why Vicks on the Feet Calms …
Around the year 2000 a nurse called into our syndicated radio show to tell us that she calmed nighttime coughs by applying Vicks VapoRub to the soles of her children's feet. She then put socks on the …
Doctor Says Vicks on the Feet Calms Night Cough:…
We have no idea why someone first experimented with Vicks VapoRub on the soles of the feet. We do know that whenever we publish a story about putting Vicks on the feet for a nighttime cough we hear fr…
Is Phenylephrine a Worthless Decongestant? FDA&#…
What took the Food and Drug Administration so long to determine that a common cold and allergy drug does not work? Phenylephrine (PE) is almost 100 years old, having received a patent in 1927. Its eff…
Reader Spanks Us Over Phenylephrine Decongestant…
Last fall I wrote a nasty article chiding the FDA for its delayed action against cold, cough and allergy pills containing the phenylephrine decongestant. That’s because I had written about this prob…
Will You Make a Condiment to Fend Off Colds?
Every so often, a reader shares a remedy that gets a lot of attention. Last month, we heard from a person whose special sauce helps her family fend off colds. Wendi wrote: “I have been making a hot …
Can Cod Liver Oil Strengthen Your Immune System?
As cold and flu season sets in, it makes sense to do what we can to strengthen the immune system and ward off these respiratory infections. Will cod liver oil help? To protect yourself from the flu, p…