The common cold is a nuisance that plagues people around the globe. It has long been suspected that the act of smoking can make a person more susceptible to a cold. This suspicion was argued about for many years, until recently, when a group of British researchers in Salisbury performed a study.
The study was performed at the Medical Research Council’s Common Cold Unit in Salisbury, UK. 391 people volunteered for the study, which tested the affects of both smoking and alcohol on the cold. The findings showed that smokers have a reduced ability to fight the common cold the non-smokers. For those are curious, alcohol improved immunity, however the Medical Research Council doesn’t recommend Jack Daniel’s rather than Vick’s just yet.
If you are a smoker, and you frequently get common colds, quitting is obviously your best bet. If you have trouble with this, it is at least best if you abstain from smoking while you have a common cold. Smoking will weaken your immune system and put added strain on your lungs. Additionally, smoking will dehydrate you even more than the common cold does anyway, so be sure to drink plenty of additional fluids. Another important fact to keep in mind is that tobacco is a stomach irritant, and smoking will make it more difficult to keep food down if nausea accompanies your common cold.
We all know that smoking is a dirty habit. Nowadays we can prove just how bad is actually is with clinical testing, and more and more negative results are coming out every day. In conclusion, it is safe to say that any smoker that has issues with frequent illness should consider quitting. Both for their long term health, and their short term. In the end it’s better for them and their loved ones.
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