Editor's note: This article appeared in the November 8, 2010, edition of Quirk's e-newsletter.

The majority of Americans are misinformed about what causes the common cold and how and when they should treat it. It seems much of this confusion comes from myths Americans grew up with that have stuck with them throughout their adult lives. Nearly three-quarters of consumers believe there is not much they can do about a cold except mask the symptoms and wait it out, according to a study conducted by Versta Research, Evanston, Ill., and sponsored by Matrixx Initiatives Inc., a Scottsdale, Ariz., health care products manufacturer. In fact, one-third of cold sufferers admit they wait until they feel miserable before taking medications that can help.
According to a second survey of U.S. pharmacists, this consumer belief is in direct contrast to what the majority of U.S. pharmacists believe: 93 percent of pharmacists report that early treatment of a cold can actually prevent a trip to the doctor's office, and 84 percent of pharmacists believe consumers often make poor choices about the best treatments for their colds.

The surveys also found that most consumers harbor myths about what causes a cold and what remedies are effective. While 86 percent of consumer survey respondents understand that colds are caused by viruses, 65 percent of consumer survey respondents also incorrectly believe that bacteria can cause a cold and 53 percent of consumer survey respondents mistakenly believe you can treat a cold with antibiotics. Consumers also tend to rely on a variety of home remedies, including chicken soup, orange juice and vitamins, even though nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of consumer survey respondents acknowledge that some of what they learned from their mothers about catching and treating colds is untrue and not based on science.

The top five myths about colds that pharmacists say are most difficult to debunk are antibiotics can kill the germs that cause colds; changes in the weather can cause colds; getting wet and chilled can cause colds; sitting in a draft can cause colds; and avoiding changes in temperatures will help prevent colds.

In addition to revealing consumer confusion about how and when to treat the common cold, the surveys also brought to light a discrepancy between consumers and pharmacists about when to prepare for a cold. Ninety-one percent of pharmacists feel the appropriate time to assess and purchase over-the-counter medications is prior to becoming sick or at the first sign of symptoms, but only 24 percent of consumers report having OTC cold and flu medications on hand for when they become sick.

Most pharmacists typically recommend zinc as an effective way to reduce the duration of a cold, but consumers have yet to catch up. More than half (52 percent) of pharmacists typically recommend taking zinc products in the early stages of a cold, with only 12 percent of consumers proactively doing so. In fact, consumers are three times as likely to try chicken soup (41 percent) as a means of stopping the progression of a cold as they are to try zinc (12 percent).