Flu Shots: Should you or shouldn't you.

[amirm]

I feel pretty certain after years of use that zinc lozenges, used correctly, really lessen the symptoms of a cold. I don't think it's placebo. I saw a study the British govt that confirmed same. Key is to catch it early, and for me, in two days the symptoms are largely gone.

Before they took it off the market, I used the zinc nasal spray as soon as I felt the symptoms of my cold. It was very interesting. My cold still lasted a few days. But the sprays got rid of 90% of the symptoms! It was as if the cold wasn't there other than a bit of runny nose.

Then I learned that it could have gotten rid of my sense of smell forever . Wish there was a safe way to still inhale them that way.

I have heard the other methods are nasty from taste point of view. Are they?

 

[cjfrbw]

Hack, cough, spit.

Too Late!

 

[rblnr]

Before they took it off the market, I used the zinc nasal spray as soon as I felt the symptoms of my cold. It was very interesting. My cold still lasted a few days. But the sprays got rid of 90% of the symptoms! It was as if the cold wasn't there other than a bit of runny nose.

Then I learned that it could have gotten rid of my sense of smell forever . Wish there was a safe way to still inhale them that way.

I have heard the other methods are nasty from taste point of view. Are they?

I used the spray for some years too and quit for the same reason. Used the lozenges before the spray existed -- don't mind the taste (inoffensive, no different from any other cough drop), but rather than a quick glob in each nostril and pinch, over in a few seconds; dissolving the lozenge under your tongue takes several minutes. Worth it to me though for that 90% symptom relief that I find too.

 

[amirm]

Thanks Bob. I had read reviews of of it saying it tasted bad so even though I had bought some, I was not motivated to use them. Good to know it is not so bad. Knock on wood, I don't have a cold.

 

[jayhawk]

i heard the flu shot is ONLY good for the flu that went around last year.....(information was from my Dr. and pharmacist)....

 

[rbbert]

i heard the flu shot is ONLY good for the flu that went around last year.....(information was from my Dr. and pharmacist)....

Almost but not quite true; actually it's only good for the strains predicted to be prevalent in the season it is given. Often, but not always, that includes the strain(s) most prevalent the year before. What is true is that the efficacy of any given year's flu vaccine tends to wane after 6 months or so.

 

[audioguy]

Vitamin D and it's ability to reduce the chance of the flu

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/a...-nearly-50.aspx?e_cid=20111209_DNL_artTest_C3

 

[Mark (Basspig) Weiss]

I am of the hypothesis that the mucous membrane is the key to disease influx into the body.
Nearly every time I have been sick with a 'cold', I had experienced dry throat that cracked and became infected -- a "sore" throat. A couple days following that, the viral infection would spread to the rest of the body.

I now avoid space heaters blowing hot air into my sinuses, having the humidity level drop too low in the house. I got sick once right after a 3 hour ride in a friend's car in which he drove with the windows rolled up and the vents blowing on max fan. My sinuses dried out and 2 days later I got sick.
I keep my thermostat set to 63°F in the winter, and use a humidifier in the bedroom. For the past few years, I have not experienced any colds or flu. I'm vigilant to keep my throat lubricated in the winter.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

I always listened to the advice of my mother 100% to get well. Ok, so she wasn't the best speller, but then English wasn't her native tongue.