Getting Rid of Colds: Do Your Usual Treatments Really Work

Colds are common in most households but not all the treatments families swear by are considered to be most effective, according to a recent study.

The British Medical Journal reported that 50 to 70 percent of people with respiratory tract infections such as colds and sore throats and chest and ear infections given ibuprofen return to their general physicians within a month with worsened symptoms. This may be because ibuprofen reduced inflammation - an inflammatory response that is part of the body's immune response to infection.

Experts weighed in on other types of the most common treatments families and individuals swear by. Chicken soup for instance is typically used for treating colds and flu and has been thought to help relieve symptoms of the said condition. A study in the American Journal of Therapeutics suggested chicken soup, specifically the protein that it contains, provides the body with carnosine - a substance that increases the production of nitric oxide.

"Protein is needed for the production of immune cells, but some chicken soups may have little protein in them,' says Catherine Collins, principal dietitian at St George's Hospital, South-West London. A bowl of good chicken soup might provide some nutritional benefit - as well as protein, the chicken will give you zinc, also good for the immune function - and just the fluid itself can be helpful. But to say it will help you recover from a cold or flu is a step too far."

Honey and lemon on the other hand are used for treating colds and sore throat. A U.S. found honey as the better option for treating night-time cough among children compared to the popular suppressant dextromethropan. "The sugar in the honey can give pep up if you haven't been eating, but why honey should reduce a cough is not understood," says Adam Frosh, a consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon at The Lister Hospital, Stevenage.