Preventing and Treating Winter Colds

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Helpful Sidebar: Break the Chain of Transmission 

The signs don’t lie: scratchy throat, nasal congestion, watery eyes. It is, indeed, the start of another cold. If your first thought is to reach for the Airborne, that over-the-counter herbal cold remedy invented by a teacher, think again. It probably won’t make a dent.

But other herbal and natural approaches do prevent colds—and if you do end up catching a cold, natural treatments can spare you considerable misery.  

Colds are humanity’s most prevalent illness. Caused by more than 200 viruses, each one technically causes a “different” cold. But because all colds produce similar symptoms, the malady is considered a single illness. 

Most colds start with a scratchy throat, and progress through nasal congestion, watery eyes and runny nose to a dry, hacking cough that may become bronchitis. Childhood colds may cause fever, but adult colds rarely do.

Medically, colds are minor and clear up by themselves in a week or so. But this minor illness causes major misery and is quite costly. Americans suffer 500 million colds annually and spend $17 billion a year treating them. Most of that money is wasted on over-the-counter cold formulas that suppress symptoms without spurring healing. Herbal and natural approaches are preferable because they provide real protection and/or speed healing.

Prevention: Boost Immunity

When researchers infect people’s noses with a live virus, some test subjects—those with the most robust immune systems—don’t catch the cold. These three immune-boosting herbs have shown value in cold prevention:

• Echinacea (Echinacea spp.). Studies from the 1990s showed scant preventive value. But in 2007, University of Connecticut scientists analyzed 14 studies and found that echinacea reduced cold risk by 58 percent. Echinacea’s preventive value remains controversial, but if anyone close to you catches a cold, there’s no harm in taking it. Recommended dose: 20 drops of tincture three times a day, or follow package directions. 

• Ginseng. (Panax quinquefolius, P. ginseng). Canadian researchers gave 279 adults a daily placebo or ginseng (400 mg a day). Four months later, the ginseng group developed significantly fewer colds. University of Connecticut researchers repeated this study and came to the same conclusion, calling ginseng “a safe, natural means for preventing acute respiratory illness.” Recommended dose: 400 mg a day.