Author(s): Jennifer Ackerman

Science & Natural History

Some colds are like mice, timid and annoying; others like dragons, accompanied by fever and deep misery. In Ah-Choo!, Jennifer Ackerman explains what, exactly, a cold is, how it works, and whether it is really possible to 'fight one off'. Scientists call this the Golden Age of the common cold because Americans suffer a billion colds each year, resulting in 400 million days of missed work and school and 100 million doctor visits. They've also learned over the past decade much more about what cold viruses are, what they do to the human body, and how symptoms can be addressed. In this ode to the odious, Ackerman sifts through the chatter about treatments - what works, what doesn't, and what can't hurt. She dispels myths, such as susceptibility to colds reflects a weakened immune system. And she tracks current research.