An Interview With Anthony Komaroff

Komaroff is the editor in chief of The Harvard Health Letter and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

While many people swear by megadoses of vitamins to beat back or shorten a cold, the truth is that it just needs to run its course. The good news: Colds are usually brief—and you can minimize the misery.

•  Head to the drugstore. Some over-the-counter medications can help you feel better. Decongestants containing pseudoepinephrine or phenylephrine (such as Sudafed) make it easier to breathe, and for a headache or sore throat, adults can take acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin. Be vigilant about multiple-ingredient medicines, such as Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom; following up with another dose of, say, Tylenol could be more acetaminophen than your body can handle. As for vitamin C, zinc, and echinacea supplements, there's simply no solid evidence that they do anything.

•  Spray lightly. While nasal sprays help clear things up, don't rely on them for more than four days—after that, they can actually make things worse. You can use a simple saline spray for longer to help flush out congestion, but be gentle. Squirting too vigorously can push bacteria into your sinuses and increase the risk of a sinus infection.

•  Bottoms up. Drink plenty of fluids. Dehydration thickens the stuff in your sinuses and lungs, which makes you even more prone to infection.

•  Sleep Well. You're better off lying low during the day and getting a solid night's sleep than overnapping and then tossing and turning all night.

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