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Colds and flu: what actually helps

Zinc, vitamin C, honey, echinacea, antibiotics, exercise and fever — each intervention graded against the Cochrane and NICE evidence, with what to actually do.

The self-care that has no controversy

Whatever else you try: drink enough that urine stays pale, sleep more than usual, keep the room air slightly humid, and eat normally — appetite loss is normal and short-lived. Paracetamol or ibuprofen at label doses handle the aches and fever; they do not shorten the cold, and that is fine. A cold is a viral illness the body clears on its own, and the goal of treatment is a less miserable week, not a shorter virus.

Self-care reference, not medical advice. Children, older adults, pregnancy and anyone with a long-term condition should have a lower bar for calling a clinician. If symptoms are severe, worsening after improvement, or come with trouble breathing or confusion, get medical help — do not treat this page as the decision.

About the verdicts

Each verdict rests on the named Cochrane review or NICE guidance, linked on the topic page. The vocabulary is deliberately coarse — "some evidence" and "no clear evidence" are the honest spread for a self-limiting condition, and a verdict can change when better trials land.

Sources: · checked 2026-09-07