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I Tested 9 Well-known Cold And Flu Remedies – The Winner Left Me Feeling 'healthy' Again In 20 Minutes And Only Cost £3

LURGY season is upon us - and I appear to be one of its early victims.

Long gone are the sniffle-free days of summer (ignoring the occasional bout of hayfever).

Sun writer Isabel Shaw tested the medicines and remedies which promise to make your cold better - do any actually work?

Instead, say hello to the next six months of coughs, stuffy ears and bunged-up noses galore - what joy.

As we all know, getting a cold is incredibly common - in fact, adults can expect to have two to three colds each year, while kids can have up to 10 or more.

My throat is itchy, ears are blocked, nose is running and head is pounding, just to name a few of my symptoms.

While there's no proven way to get rid of a cold, there are a number of medicines and home remedies which promise to help manage the symptoms and make you feel better.

But do any actually work?

I put several products to the test over the course of a week - taking into account pain reduction, and how quickly and for how long they worked.

Many of the products targeted all symptoms associated with cold and flu, but I also tested treatments that only aimed to get rid of specific issues.

I also spoke to TV Pharmacist Thorrun Govind to find out a little more about the science behind these methods and which ones she recommends to her own patients.

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She tells me: "It's important to remember with all of these remedies that none are going to fix your cough or cold, our immune systems will do that.

"But taking some of these products can make you feel better while you wait!"

1. Hot honey & lemon

Drinking something warm will likely soothe your throat, whatever it isCredit: Getty

Best for: Cough and sore throat

Pain reduction: 6/10

Efficiency: 6/10

Longevity: 4/10

An oldie but a goodie: hot honey and lemon water has been used for generations to ease the symptoms of a cold or flu.

After just a few sips, I noticed my persistent coughing had died down, much to my boyfriend's relief.

And this is hardly surprising, considering one Canadian study found honey to be as effective as common cough suppressant ingredient dextromethorphan, found in many over-the-counter drugs.

There was also something very comforting about holding something warm when you feel under the weather - like a hug, just in a mug.

Agreeing, pharmacist Thorrun says: "Drinking something warm will likely sooth your throat, whatever it is.

"But the greatest benefit you're likely to get from this drink is hydration.

"Keeping yourself well-hydrated can help with symptom and help your immune system fight."

It's important to remember that honey shouldn't be given to children younger than 12 months old.

That's because it contains bacteria that can produce toxins in a baby's tummy, leading to infant botulism, which can prove serious.

Where to buy: find a bag of four lemons and jar of honey at Aldi for 79p and 75p, respectively.

2. Steam inhalation/Vicks VapoRub

The salve promises to solve nasal congestion and ease a sore throat and cough due to cold.Credit: Boots

Best for: Congestion

Pain reduction: 7/10

Efficiency: 8/10

Longevity: 4/10

As the name suggests, this simple (but very effective) trick involves breathing in some steam.

You do this by filling a bowl with hot water and throwing a towel over your head, or jumping in a hot shower.

Studies on steam inhalation as a way to ease cold symptoms are somewhat mixed.

Many, including one 2016 review, found breathing in hot air did nothing at all to help clear the sinuses.

Contrary to the scientific evidence, breathing in hot air provided me with instant relief, albeit not for long.

Within seconds, I could feel the hot steam loosen the mucus build up in my nose (apologises for the graphic detail).

I was very excited to breathe from my nostrils again - a small, but simple pleasure you only realise when it's gone.

It's worth noting that steaming didn't make my ears feel any less blocked, which annoyingly was making me feel like I was constantly underwater.

However, the biggest downside was the positive decongestant effects lasted little more than minute, which wasn't entirely satisfying.

"This is a cheap way to unblock your nostrils," Thorrun explains.

"It does this by making the mucus thinner.

"But like you noticed, it won't last very long."

This is because without the steam, the mucus thickens up.

In an attempt to keep my nose clearer for longer, I took my steam bowl up a notch and stirred in some Vicks VapoRub.

I also added some of the minty wax-like substance to my chest and neck (as advised) for good measure.

On the Vicks website, the product promises to solve nasal congestion, and ease a sore throat and cough due to cold.

After a few inhales, my nose, ears and chest felt clearer, more so than the clean steam ever managed to.

However, my cough persisted and throat continued to feel a tad tickly.

I proceeded to carry the little blue pot around with me all day after deciding rubbing a layer into my chest every so often was slightly more office appropriate than an hourly steam bowl.

Thorrun points out that people using this technique should be careful of burns.

She says: "Make sure the bowl of hot water is on a level, sturdy surface and can't be knocked over.

"And don't let the hot water anywhere near children."

Where to buy: find a 100g jar of Vicks at Boots for £5.25.

3. Echinacea

Many people now suggest the supplement can treat a cold, but the evidence is mixedCredit: Superdrug

Best for: nothing

Pain reduction: 0/10

Efficiency: 0/10

Longevity: 0/10

I've never been a believer of herbal remedies, but seeing as echinacea has a bit of a reputation of being a "cold fighter", I thought I'd give it a shot.

Echinacea is part of the daisy family, and has been used by Native Americans for hundreds of years to treat various infections and toothache.

Many people now suggest the supplement can treat a cold, but the evidence is mixed - with most studies suggesting it doesn't really work.

I took it in pill form for three days and didn't see any significant changes.

In fact, I felt just as unwell and miserable as I did before I started the pills.

A 2014 review credited echinacea with "small preventative effects" when it came to shielding people from cold - so perhaps I was taking it wrong.

A 2015 study gave echinacea a more full-throated endorsement, suggesting it can reduce a person's risk for colds by 35 per cent.

So maybe I should be taking echinacea as a daily supplement ahead of prospective illness, instead of something to take while I'm already sick.

Thorrun said echinacea isn't something she recommends to her own patients.

"The science around it's effectiveness just isn't there like it is for some other cold and flu products," she said.

Where to buy: find a box of 42 Echinaforce echinacea tablets at Superdrug for £5.24.

4. Chicken soup

Chicken is full of a substance called carnosine which studies suggest reduces that stuffy, congested feeling in your nose and throatCredit: Tesco

Best for: Headache and sore throat

Pain reduction: 5/10

Efficiency: 7/10

Longevity: 5/10

Food always makes me feel better when I'm ill - ideally carbs and more carbs.

So it was little wonder when a bowl of warm chicken soup paired with some thick slices of white bread slathered with salted butter brought me back to life.

It briefly reduced my headache and my sore throat, and all the swallowing slightly eased my stuffiness.

Research suggests it's not just any old food that will make you feel better though; chicken is especially good when you're feeling run down.

The white meat is full of a substance called carnosine, which studies suggest reduces that stuffy, congested feeling in your nose and throat.

It's thought that carnosine works by minimising inflammation in the upper respiratory tract, which includes the nose, mouth and throat.

Thorrun touted the benefits of eating well when you're unwell.

"It's important to nourish your body is fighting a virus by giving it lots of food full of vitamins and minerals," she says.

"A nice cup of and bread is likely going to give you a bit more energy which can make you feel better."

Where to buy: find one tub of Cully and Sully's chicken and vegetable soup at Tesco for £2.

5. A spicy curry

A herb found in many currys may stave off viruses that cause sniffles and sore throatsCredit: Co-op

Best for: Congestion

Pain reduction: 5/10

Efficiency: 6/10

Longevity: 3/10

A curry might more commonly be associated with curing a hangover, rather than a bug.

But there's another reason to eat your vindaloo, as one (rather small) study found a vital ingredient can help treat colds.

The 2011 study found fenugreek (found in most UK supermarket curries) may stave off viruses that cause sniffles and sore throats and even help to relieve some of the symptoms.

After a few bites of my Co-op Tikka Masala (to which I added some extra chilli flakes for effect), I noticed my nose began to run - bingo, I thought, this must be clearing my blocked nose.

However, within moments of finishing my microwaved medley, the stuffiness was back and my throat was still sore.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Thorrun says a curry is not something she would ever recommend to her own patients.

"When you're feeling unwell, the last thing you're going to crave is a heavy curry," she says.

"I can see how the spice might briefly clear your sinuses, but beyond that I don't see, medically, how it's going to help you feel better."

Where to buy: find a Tikka Masala at Co-op for £3.75.

6. Beechams All in One Oral Solution

The painkiller can reduce high temperatures and ease aches and painsCredit: Boots

Best for: Headache and sore throat

Pain reduction: 7/10

Efficiency: 7/10

Longevity: 7/10

Trying to swallow tablets when you've got a sore throat can be really unpleasant; they just never seem to go down smoothly - which is why taking a liquid medicine went down a treat.

Beechams is one-shot medicine which is easy to take and works very quickly.

Within just 10 minutes, I was free from that pesky itch lurking in my throat and my cough had gone with it.

Thorrun says this is because it contains paracetamol, which works by "making pain more manageable".

According to the NHS, the painkiller can also reduce high temperature and ease aches and pains - which I also noticed.

"Just make sure you don't exceed the recommended dose by taking it more than once every four hours," she said.

Beechams also contains a decongestant known as phenylephrine hydrochloride, but this did nothing to unblock my nose or ears.

In fact, health experts in the US recently claimed when the decongestant is used in oral medicines (rather than nasal sprays), it doesn't work - which in my case makes sense.

Where to buy: find 160ml of Beechams at Boots for £5.50.

7. Strepsils

These lozenges also contain an antiseptic which can help kill the bugsCredit: Superdrug

Best for: Sore throat and cough

Pain reduction: 7/10

Efficiency: 9/10

Longevity: 7/10

A hard-boiled sweet to numb my itchy throat? Yes please.

Within seconds of sucking a lozenge (that contains no real sugar) I felt the anaesthetic effects working.

My throat was less sore and not at all scratchy, while my cough appeared to have disappeared.

The numbing effects lingered for 20 or so minutes after the lozenge had dissolved.

The lemon and honey flavour (as classic so it seems) wasn't half bad either.

According to Thorrun, these lozenges also contain an antiseptic which can help kill the bugs.

"This could, in theory, mean they help your body fight off an infection by cleaning the back of the infected throat," she explained.

Where to buy: find a box of 36 honey and lemon Strepsil Lozenges for £5.69 at Superdrug.

8. Lemsip Max

Lemsip contains a chemical called guaifenesin, which helps to thin the mucus in the throatCredit: Chemist 4 U

Best for: Cough, congestion, sore throat, headache

Pain reduction: 9/10

Efficiency: 8/10

Longevity: 8/10

What could be better than painkillers? Painkillers submerged a hot drink.

Much like the honey and lemon concoction, this drink (suitably lemon-flavoured) felt like a hug in a mug - with the added benefit of numbing the incessant itch in my throat.

After 20 minutes of sipping, many of my symptoms began to lift, including my blocked ears, nose, sore throat and cough.

Even the more subdued symptoms, like the dull ache in my legs and stuffy head disappeared.

All things considered, I felt relatively normal. Might I go as far to say I convinced myself I was healthy again?

I asked Thorrun why exactly this product worked so well.

"Lemsip contains a chemical called guaifenesin, which helps to thin the mucus in the throat so its easy to cough up," she explains.

"This is why it's very good for those with wet coughs, as opposed to dry, or chesty coughs."

It also contains paracetamol, which, as Thorrun said previously, can help ease pain when you're ill.

You can also take Lemsip in tablet form, but the fact the powered version requires water is an added bonus for your health.

"Drinking more liquids is going to help with a sore throat or cough," she explained.

Four hours later, as if right on schedule, my symptoms came flooding back.

I continued to carry some hand sachets in my purse for the rest of my cold, and if that's not a testament to the medicine, I don't know what is.

Where to buy: find a box of 10 Lemsip Max Lemon sachets for £3.29 from Amazon.Co.Uk.

9. Sudafed Blocked Nose Spray

Nasal sprays work much quicker than tablets because the decongestant reaches your blocked quickerCredit: Weldricks

Best for: Congestion

Pain reduction: 9/10

Efficiency: 8/10

Longevity: 8/10

The worst part of any cold (in my humble opinion) is the congestion.

Living in a scentless, muffled world isn't fun for anyone.

So when I came across a de-blocking spray, I was thrilled.

The initial hit of menthol up each nostril is far from pleasant, but the three-or-so hours after were pure, clear, bliss.

Not only could I breathe through my nose again, but my ears felt substantially less congested, as did my head.

"Nasal sprays work much quicker than tablets because the decongestant reaches your blocked nose almost instantly," Thorrun explains.

It's Flu And Exhaustion Season

Last week, I dragged myself to work. Sneezing, sniffling and hacking. My body eventually gave out, and I had to take off multiple days. Then, the medication I took for my cold triggered an unexpected allergic reaction, engulfing me in hives—each one itching and burning, reminding me of my body's imperfections. I soon had another prescription in hand. The doctor assured me this would relieve my itching but, more importantly, the doctor's casual mention of its drowsy side effects was a hidden blessing to my ears. I found myself looking forward to that unexpected benefit.

The calm apartment echoed only with distant, ambient sounds of the city. I settled into bed, the soft linens cool against my inflamed skin. I began to drift, a tranquil haze pulling me under, when a sudden, piercing cry jolted me awake.

Rushing to his room, I found my 15-month-old son restless and flushed. The touch of my hand to his forehead confirmed my fears: he was running a fever. A pang of worry clenched my heart. The timing, with the medicine's effects just beginning to set in, felt cruelly ironic. Then another pang of dread, how could I possibly explain the need to call out of work, again?

The hours of the night stretched and warped, blurring into an endless loop of trying to soothe my child, all while battling the drowsiness threatening to pull me under. I remember walking the hallway, holding him close, humming lullabies. The soft glow of the street lights outside casted long shadows on our path. His cries would wane for moments, only to return with renewed vigor.

Can anyone without a child truly empathize with the strain that parents go through during cold and flu season?

I oscillated between the bathroom, checking the medicine cabinet for anything that might ease his discomfort and the living room, pacing and rocking him in a desperate bid for relief. My mind raced, filled with concern for him and a yearning for the rest that seemed just out of reach.

With each hour that went by, the weight of my baby seemed to increase. My arms felt like jello. My whole body tugged forward, curving my spine and sending shots of pain rippling from my pinched nerve throughout the rest of my body. My anxiety also reached elephant portions as I mentally rehearsed the message I would have to give my boss if I could not show up for work again.

I thought about the workload that my colleagues would have to bear, again. The meetings I would have to reschedule, again. And how I would become known as a flakey, unreliable team member after all I had done to get to where I was.

As dawn approached, the weight of the night settled in. My body, already weary from the allergic reaction, felt doubly burdened by the physical and emotional toll of caring for my sick child and the anxiety of having to work the next day under these restless conditions. Soon my son's cries lessened, his fever broke and he fell asleep.

I resolved to go to work, even if it meant I could not stay the whole day and had to leave early to get some rest. I chose honesty as my best course of action. I messaged my boss, telling him all that had occurred the night before and that I would do my best to be there but I knew I would not be my best self. I pondered for a minute: Can anyone without a child truly empathize with the strain that parents go through during cold and flu season?

In the hazy light of daybreak, my son cradled in my arms, I found myself reflecting on a larger issue that goes beyond the confines of a single night. Balancing parenthood and professionalism is a tightrope act that many tread daily, yet there's a chasm between understanding and experiencing it. How can the roles of a parent and a professional reconcile when they often pull from the same well of energy, patience and commitment?

The duality of that night—wanting to be the best parent to my sick child while also being accountable to my responsibilities at work—underscored a question that often remains unspoken: At what point does society reconcile its expectations of parents as caregivers with their roles as dedicated workers? And how do we as parents help others understand that, sometimes, our best is just showing up?

That night left me wondering what the workplace would look like if everyone, whether they have children or not, truly grasped the toll that these dual roles can exact. Perhaps, in asking this, we can inch closer to a future where understanding bridges the gap between parenthood and professionalism.

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Do You Have The Flu, RSV, COVID, Or A Cold?

Nov. 22, 2023 – Winter is almost here, and with it may come runny noses, coughing, and congestion. But how do you know if you have just a common cold or one of the three respiratory viruses that make up the "tripledemic" – RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), COVID-19, and influenza?

Based on symptoms alone, it's difficult to tell which illness you might have. But there are clues that can point you in the right direction: how severe your symptoms are, how long it took for symptoms to set in, what viruses are circulating in your community, and more.

We asked experts to break it down for us.

How Viruses Set Themselves Apart – or Don't

Nowadays, COVID – especially for people who have received the most recent vaccine – can manifest much like a common cold, so it's important to keep at-home tests on hand.

"Being vaccinated does keep [these viruses] from striking the chest," said Panagis Galiatsatos, MD, a pulmonary and critical care doctor at Johns Hopkins. "Vaccinated patients may get a mild cough, but a lot of their symptoms stay more as an upper respiratory issue, like nasal congestion – like a bad cold."

One of the unique symptoms of COVID, particularly in the earlier variations of the virus, was the loss of taste and smell. While this still happens in some cases, this symptom isn't as common anymore, said Galiatsatos. More often than not, patients who have been vaccinated will report loss of smell or taste due to upper respiratory congestion, whereas in the past "it was more of a neurological invasion of the virus," he said.

That's changed because so many of us now have the antibodies that protect us from the more severe consequences of COVID, from either having recovered from a previous infection, getting immunized, or a combination of the two.

Unlike RSV, cold, and flu, COVID may also bring on some gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. While GI issues are a more uncommon symptom, it can be a sign that you should get tested for COVID.

RSV in healthy people who are not children or over the age of 65 might look like a cold or a mild case of COVID. But for children and seniors, a telltale sign of a potential RSV infection is when a patient is wheezing or they are having asthma flares, said Peter Chin-Hong, MD, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco.

What the Timing of Symptoms Can Tell Us

Common cold symptoms tend to come on fairly quickly, explained Chin-Hong. If you get RSV, on the other hand, it may take 4 to 6 days before symptoms show. Flu viruses are a totally different story.

"The special characteristic of flus is the abrupt onset of symptoms," Chin-Hong said. "You might be minding your own business, feeling OK, and then all of the sudden you get in your car and you feel like you've been hit by a dump truck."

COVID also has some unique symptomatic features. You may not have symptoms at all, or you might have mild, cold-like symptoms for a week before the symptoms worsen and the infection becomes more serious.

"COVID has this biphasic pattern, whereas colds and RSV don't – it's when you are kind of doing OK, and then you fall off a cliff," said Chin-Hong. "That's why early treatment with Paxlovid or remdesivir is so important because it can prevent that second phase from happening."

Testing Is Your Best Bet

For Galiatsatos, getting tested for COVID should be your first instinct – and getting two negative tests within a 24-hour period should encourage you to seek out a flu test at a local health care facility if you're able to. Staying on top of testing can get you access to the right antivirals, like Tamiflu, which can shorten symptoms by a day or more. And when you come down with the flu, those couple of days can make a world of difference.

Just assuming you have COVID and not testing could be a mistake, especially if you end up having long-lasting respiratory symptoms of the virus.

"One of the things that broke my heart was so many patients who have come into my clinic with symptoms of long COVID, but they never got tested. I can't test their antibodies anymore because those antibodies could be from an older infection or vaccine," said Galiatsatos. "It's hard to get insurance companies to pay for long COVID tests if there wasn't a positive COVID test to begin with."

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