Cures for the common cold: Sweating it out a load of crap?

[shaniac]

So I've had the Bellagio Flu for like 7 days now. I finally called the doctor, who made a housecall for $295 and managed to rope me in for an extra $100 on a somewhat meaningless shot of cortisone.

Anyway, prior to that I had tried my best to sit in the excellent steam room at the bellagio and sweat out my cold. I drank a lot of water during my sessions (1 a day for the last 3 days) and really sweated out. It didn't do anything. Why was I deluded into thinking it might? Is there anything to the notion of sweating out a cold or an infection?

[pryor15]

i've heard brandy works quite well.

[westside_eh]

Cold FX is amazing

[SammyKid11]

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Is there anything to the notion of sweating out a cold or an infection?

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I'm no doctor, but as far as I know - nothing more to that than there is to leaches sucking out blood infections.

[Blarg]

Staying very warm, even uncomfortably warm, has always done wonders for me. It helps me stop shivering by artificially heating me, so my body doesn't have to put out that kind of energy expenditure. When it's already down and fighting hard just to beat the cold or flu, it doesn't help to have to divert energy to making me shiver and raising my temperature. Your body has got to get the energy from somewhere to do all its tasks, and I figure I free up the energy it would have used to keep me warm when I keep myself warm.

I do this for hours on end, though, like all day and all night, not just for an hour at a shot. You're not going to sweat out your cold or flu.

But when I've tried to take some of the load off my body by taking charge of generating the heat needed to help bake the germs like a fever does, or just help maintain normal temperature, it has really made a difference. Often I've beaten a cold or flu in a day or two this way. Sometimes it has really felt like I was actually feeling it break once or twice, and suddenly knew when it was over.

Anyway, bundling up heavy is sweaty and messy and maybe a little stuffy, but it works very well for me.

Sweating works, but it has to be a bottle of bourbon you are sweating out.

[TheCroShow]

advil cold and flu, fixed me right up today. i felt like hell, head cold, stuffed nose, sore throat, non-stop coughing, fatigue..then i popped a couple of advil cold and flu, VOILA i'm all fixed up!

[Johnnyj580]

I would seriously consider giving Mortenson a call.


Maybe he could "FLUSH" that flu right out


. . .sorry I couldn't resist.

[theweatherman]

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I'm no doctor, but as far as I know - nothing more to that than there is to leaches sucking out blood infections.

[/ QUOTE ]

Leeches do have very useful medical purposes. They are esspecially used in the reattachment of digits for there ability to reduce swelling in a sterile and efficient way. Just a little info for the next time you bad mouthing the leeches.

[fluxrad]

Work out - this is what is meant by sweating it out.

I'm a firm believer in it. It works if you've had the cold/flu for a while. When I get sick, I try to take it easy for the first few days, then work out as soon as I feel the cold has worn out its welcome.

[The Dude]

When you have a fever, you don't want to keep hot. Your body is too hot already, it needs to cool down. If the fever isn't too bad (<101), then it's not that big of a deal, but if it's over that, you definately should not be trying to keep hot.

There's a lot of urban legend when it comes to curing colds and flu. Sweating it out is one of them. C'mon guys, this isn't new information.