Feed a Cold or Starve a Fever?
No Appointment Necessary

Aired on Superstation WGN
Saturday, January 8 and May 7, 2005
Show 201

Dr. Lisa Thornton:

Let's clear up the confusion about feeding colds, or was it starving a cold? Let's find out from Walgreens pharmacist Tabarius Smith, PharmD.

Tabarius Smith, PharmD:

At one time, there was consensus that we should starve a cold and feed a fever. The best recommendation today would be to hydrate, drink a lot of fluids and get plenty of rest. When you hydrate, especially with things like Gatorade and some additional water or orange juice, those things help to boost our immune system; especially things like orange juice are very high in vitamin C. Antioxidants play a role in helping us to prevent, as well as fight off colds and fevers. It is actually not recommended to use antibiotics, because you don't have a bacterial infection, it's a viral infection, and so it won't work. Antibiotics don't work for a viral infection and typically colds are due to viruses. Keeping a warm or cool air humidifier will help keep the air moist, so therefore, when you breathe or cough, it feels a lot more comfortable. Wearing warm pajamas, not keeping your house too warm are also good recommendations. You have to kind of pamper and kind of take it easy and rest a little bit just to make yourself feel a little bit better. If this means you sit down and watch TV for five hours, that's what you do.