Cold, harsh truth on sickness By Jeffrey Bramnick, Pure Matters
Researchers have cataloged at least 101 rhinoviruses -- the
viruses that cause most colds. At times, it seems there are
almost as many myths surrounding all that sniffling and
sneezing. "It's good to dispel these myths," says Jack M.
Gwaltney Jr., M.D., a cold researcher and professor emeritus.
Here are some myths as common as the common cold. Myth: Feed a
cold, starve a fever. "This is one of those things that gets
passed down, much like a nursery rhyme. There's nothing to it,
though," Dr. Gwaltney says. Drinking plenty of fluid is a good
idea in either case, but feeding a cold will do nothing to make
you feel better. Myth: You have to be run down to catch a cold.
Being tired has no bearing. "We placed cold viruses in the nasal
passages of more than 300 student volunteers over a 10-year
period at the University of Virginia, and we found that
regardless of how tired they were, 95 percent of them became
infected and 75 percent got cold symptoms,"