People try many different CAM therapies in their efforts to fight colds. According to estimates based on the 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), colds ranked eighth among adults and third among children as a medical condition prompting CAM use.
Although there are vaccines to prevent the flu, prescription drugs to treat it, and over-the-counter remedies that can help relieve symptoms, people may use CAM approaches—including various natural products and mind-body practices—in hopes of strengthening their resistance to flu viruses and recovering more quickly from bouts of the flu.
NCCAM