Having a cold can make you feel crummy. The sneezing, coughing, fever, and body aches are misery that only increases with every passing minute. A lot of what most people believe about the common cold is myth. According to experts, you may not get a cold because you went outside with a wet head or slept in a drafty room.

But here's what is true. When you're sick, some common mistakes can make your cold symptoms worse—or prevent you from getting better.

Here are a few things you may be doing that worsen your condition:

As opposed to the popular belief that elderberry—fruit from a tree variety known as Sambucus found mostly in Europe, can cure a cold within no time. Loaded with protein, fats, carbohydrates, and fibre, studies say elderberry is not that effective in reducing the severity or duration of flu symptoms.

Getting enough uninterrupted sleep is the key to a healthy immune system. According to studies, sleeping less than 7 hours a night almost triples your risk of getting a cold in the first place.

So, if your cold symptoms are keeping you up at night, try to go to bed earlier or take naps during the day. You need extra rest, however, you get it.

Drinking too much alcohol is not just bad for your overall health but also leaves you dehydrated and worsens cold symptoms like congestion. It also suppresses your immune system and potentially interacts with cold medications that you are taking.

Doctors also say smokers get more colds than nonsmokers and their symptoms are also worse. Smoking damages cells in the lungs, making it harder for you to fight off a cold.

Many people popularly believe that stuffing garlic in your nostrils can help you relieve symptoms of congestion faster. However, Cleveland Clinic says it is a myth.

Stuffing garlic in your nose can only cause your mucus to build up and irritate your mucus membranes, increasing mucus production.

It is believed that vitamin C cures the common cold. However, research on this claim is extremely conflicting. Even though not fully proven, large doses of vitamin C may help reduce how long a cold lasts but cannot completely cure it.

However, studies say vitamin C may have stronger effects in people who are under intense physical stress.

Doctors advise being careful with nasal decongestant sprays, as they may work well at first but if you overuse them or continuously apply for more than three days, your stuffy nose will get worse when you stop.

According to experts, flu is associated with more than 35.5 million illnesses, more than 16.5 million medical visits, around 490,600 hospitalisations, and close to 34,200 deaths during the 2018-2019 influenza season globally.

While no medicine can completely cure the flu, doctors say the flu vaccine is the best defense against it. It is also critical to stop the spread of this illness throughout communities.

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