Dispelling Common Cold And Flu Myths by Lisa Chavis (NAPSA)—According to the if sei iz U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Americans suffer from approximately one billion colds annually, making it the most commonail- ment in the country. AS many as half of all Americans are diag- nosed with the flu each year. Consumers may hear many common myths about colds and influenza. However, those myths Lisa Chavis can result in misdi- ————— agnosis, miscommu- nication and mistreatment. Armed with the proper information about the differences between the two Half of all Americans are diag- nosed with the flu each year. never been clinically proven to be effective in treating a cold or the flu. Appropriate treatments in- would stand a better chance of winning the commoncold war. clude plenty of fluids—including soup—andlots of rest. A variety of over-the-counter medications such as decongestants, expectorants and antihistamines are available to relieve cold and flu symptoms. and truths about colds and theflu: from going outside in cold illnesses and the appropriate treatments for each, many people Here are some of the myths Myth: The flu shot causes the flu. The flu shot vaccine is made from inactive virus, which means you cannot catch the flu from the vaccine. Myth: Antibiotics should be used to treat the flu. The overprescribing of antibiotics has the potential to be a global health care crisis. Disease-causing bacteria are quickly becoming resistant to many of these drugs. In addition, influenza is a viral infection and does not respondto antibiotics. Myth: Chicken soup and herbal remedies are great treatments for cold and flu. While chicken soup may make you feel better psychologically, it has Myth: You can catch a cold weather. With apologies to grandmothers across the country, you cannot catch a cold from going outside without a jacket during the colder months. However, you can a catch a cold from other peo- ple who are infected through touching common surfaces or faceto-face contact. For more information about cold and flu www.medco.com. season, visit Lisa Chavis, RPh, is the lead pharmacist of the Drug Utilization Review (DUR) department at Medco Health Solutions Inc.’s Netpark-Tampa IV pharmacy. Her books include “The Family Pharmacist” and “Ask Your Pharmacist.”
