Adults usually catch one or two colds a year; school-children, four to six. Knowing how to prevent and treat this common condition can help you and your family be healthier. To assess how much you know about colds, answer the following statements true or false.

1. More than 200 viruses cause colds.

True False

2. Frequent hand washing can reduce your chances of getting a cold.

True False

3. Frequently cleaning telephones, countertops and faucets in your home when family member has a cold can help keep the illness from spreading.

True False

4. Wearing warm clothing, avoiding cold drafts and not going outside with wet hair can keep you from catching a cold.

True False

5. Over-the-counter cold/cough medications can cure a cold.

True False

6. Keeping your fingers out of your eyes and nose can help keep you from getting a cold.

True False

7. One-third of Americans catch a cold in the fall.

True False

8. Chronic sleep deprivation may increase your chances of catching a cold.

True False

9. Fever and headaches are common cold symptoms.

True False

10. It's better to blow your nose with a tissue than a handkerchief.

True False

11. Drinking lots of liquids can help you recover from a cold.

True False

12. Drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes can make you feel worse when you have a cold.

True False

13. Antibiotics can cure a cold.

True False

The Answers

1. True. And some of those viruses can be quite potent. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, some viruses, such as the rhinoviruses, seldom produce serious illness. But others, such as parainfluenza and respiratory syncytial virus, can lead to severe lower respiratory infections in young children.

2. True. Frequent, thorough washing kills viruses you may have picked up on your hands.

3. True. Cold viruses can survive on hard surfaces for several days.

4. False. Viruses cause colds.

5. False. There's no cure for a cold, but these remedies can alleviate cold symptoms.

6. True. This is how cold viruses enter your system.

7. True. Experts estimate that each year Americans suffer 1 billion colds.

8. True. Adequate sleep improves your immune function.

9. False. Fever and headache are rare with colds but common with the flu.

10. True. A tissue is better, as long as you use the tissue only once.

11. True. Fluids help keep mucus more liquid and help prevent ear infections, bronchitis and other complications.

12. True. Alcohol swells nasal passages, and smoke irritates them.

13. False. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses.

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