Are there differences in the symptoms of a common cold with age? Are cold symptoms worse in adults than children? [more inside]
posted by graventy on Aug 28, 2009 - 7 answers

I thought I had heard of a website that tracks current viruses, called What's Going Around or something similar. I'm finding tons of local tv stations with special pages for their community, but nothing that ties them all together into one website. Anyone know of a site like this?
posted by jragon on Jul 21, 2009 - 4 answers

I have a cold, and my mouth tastes yucky. What specifically is happening? [more inside]
posted by Melismata on Jul 4, 2008 - 8 answers

What does having multiple colds without symptoms except fatigue mean? [more inside]
posted by damn dirty ape on May 13, 2007 - 8 answers

A twist on the question "is it better to let a cold run its course or is it better to medicate?". There have already been AskMeFi threads to this regard but I repeat the question because of something a doctor told me: if you dry up the runny nose/postnasal drainage, you prevent the mucus from going into your upper respiratory tract, thereby precluding the chest-clearing cough. Is this sound medicine? I've gone through four Kleenex just typing this question.
posted by the sobsister on Oct 31, 2006 - 12 answers

Round about this past April, I developed a nasty, hacking cough that hit only in the mornings. Can my icky, phlegmy self still have this same cold virus, months upon months later? [more inside]
posted by AthenaPolias on Sep 18, 2006 - 15 answers

Does being cold/wet actually have any affect on the contraction of the common cold? [more inside]
posted by borkingchikapa on Aug 3, 2006 - 34 answers

I need to strengthen my immune system. [more inside]
posted by anastasiav on Apr 14, 2006 - 25 answers

I have a question about colds. Why do folks get them when the weather gets colder? Don't germs and viruses and what not typically thrive in the heat? Do other illnesses thrive when it gets cold?
posted by zeoslap on Dec 14, 2005 - 21 answers

Let's hear your method for preventing colds and other sicknesses! [more inside]
posted by nitsuj on Dec 5, 2005 - 66 answers

I love medical advice from strangers on the internet: favorite chest cold remedies. [more inside]
posted by Karmakaze on Jul 9, 2005 - 14 answers

The silver lining to colds and flus has always been that at least my immune system is better for it, and I’ll be less likely to catch the next thing. However, I’ve caught 3 colds (or something- they were all different, and none were serious) this year and it’s only May! In the past I’ve caught maybe one thing a year. Does your immune system stop improving as you get older? Why do old people get sick more easily? And how old are you when that starts? And how possible IS it to reinfect yourself with the exact same virus or bacteria? Once you’ve had something, wouldn’t your immune system just whomp it the next time it came by?
posted by small_ruminant on May 11, 2005 - 20 answers

I catch colds with alarming frequency- five or six times a year. If I make any sort of contact with somebody else who is sick, I can expect to have what they have within a day or two. I'm 21, HIV negative (recently tested and long abstinent), a vegetarian with a healthy diet, I excercise frequently and I take vitamins. I'm also currently taking Lexapro for depression. My question is twofold: first, what's wrong with me? Doctors insist that I'm fine. Second, what can I do to keep from getting sick so often in the future?
posted by anonymous on Feb 10, 2005 - 41 answers

Tylenol? Contact? Advil? Who makes the best nighttime cold remedy? I haven't slept for three nights because of my running nose and cough. UGH!
posted by grumblebee on Apr 28, 2004 - 17 answers