Well, naturals retailers, it appears you have quite the order of continued education about supporting immune health to do in your communities. According to a 2015 survey, 85 percent of respondents said they endured at least one cold during the prior 12 month period. And before being compelled to seek a remedy, 43 percent said they waited until symptoms were “bad enough,” while 20 percent waited until they experienced multiple symptoms.
Meanwhile, the clarion symptom differed: a cold would announce itself with a sore/scratchy throat in 39 percent of respondents, nasal congestion in 10 percent, and a runny nose in 10 percent. Respondents also reported that cough would begin typically between one and five days after the initial cold onset, but also had a longer duration. The respondents also noted that both nasal congestion and cough were the most annoying symptoms.
Interestingly, according to the study authors, survey respondents said they rarely consulted clinicians regarding treatment, and more than 75 percent had never received clinical advice about how to select a non-prescription remedy. Pointedly, they wrote, “Misperceptions regarding etiology and treatment of the common cold were prevalent” in this study cohort.
Blaiss, et al. “Consumer attitudes on cough and cold: US (ACHOO) survey results” Curr Med Res Opin. 2015 Aug;31(8):1527-38
