One rather odd one I didn't expect to hear quite so much about this year is how an onion will "draw out the illness" and turn black. I am a firm believer in the placebo effect, as well as the importance of optimism on patient health and outcome. Still!
Snopes has a page explaining the origin of the myth; apparently, the superstition has been around for over 100 years. Not only is there no scientific evidence, there are no studies because it's SUCH a ridiculous claim! (It would go into the same category as testing unicorn horns for a cancer cure.) Snopes quotes a Wall Street Journal article:
"Biologists say it's highly implausible that onions could attract a flu virus as a bug zapper traps flies. Viruses require a living host to replicate and can't propel themselves out of a body and across a room."
I love that the author clearly expresses a similar sense of frustration and bewilderment.
But if you still insist on trying it out, just remember that an onion is also considered bad luck. Dating back from the 1850s is the saying, "To have a cut onion lying about in the house breeds distempers."
Poppycock, say you? To which I respond: hello pot, my name is kettle.
Another suggestion I frequently hear tossed about is to stay drunk (I think it's meant to be a joke but then they actually do it). When you're sick and have a fever, you quickly become dehydrated and it's often difficult to eat or keep things down. Why on earth would you want to dehydrate yourself further with alcohol? (That's a topic for a future blog, why alcohol makes you pee so much.)
If you don't take every opportunity to keep yourself hydrated and fed, you're not giving your body the optimal environment to heal. A drunken stupor might take the edge off the misery, but it could extend the recovery period. I'd rather be sober and miserable for 3 days than drunk and slightly less miserable for 5 days. Plus I don't want to make the preexisting flu headache even worse.
If you're still convinced I'm wrong and plan to use the onion and alcohol, I'd say stick with the Nyquil instead (appropriately dosed of course, and without the side of moonshine).
In short, the onion is a myth, the alcohol is a myth. Stay hydrated and well-rested. If you think it's the flu, get to your doctor ASAP; Tamiflu, by prescription, can shorten the duration of the flu by a few days if taken within the first 24-48 hours of symptoms. Antibiotics DO NOT CURE the cold or flu. (Have I emphasized that enough in this blog yet??)
And for Pete's sake, GET A FREAKING FLU SHOT! Especially if you're around young children or older people, your unvaccinated/lazy butt (yes, you)/crunchy anti-modern medicine self could kill someone! I'd almost equate it with driving while drunk. Or better yet, playing Russian roulette, but with the gun aimed at your baby or parent.
To end on a lighter note, have a happy New Years!!
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