About the Book

Some colds are like mice, timid and annoying; others like dragons, accompanied by body aches and deep misery. In AH-CHOO!, Jennifer Ackerman explains what, exactly, a cold is, how it works, and whether it's really possible to "fight one off." Scientists call this the Golden Age of the Common Cold because Americans suffer up to a billion colds each year, resulting in 40 million days of missed work and school and 100 million doctor visits. They've also learned over the past decade much more about what cold viruses are, what they do to the human body, and how symptoms can be addressed. In this ode to the odious cold, Ackerman sifts through the chatter about treatments-what works, what doesn't, and what can't hurt. She dispels myths, such as susceptibility to colds reflects a weakened immune system. And she tracks current research, including work at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, a world-renowned center of cold research studies, where the search for a cure continues.

Product Details

Media: Hardcover Book, 245 pages

Language: English

Publisher: Twelve

Edition: Unknown

ISBN-10: 044654115X

Publication Date: Sep. 2nd, 2010

ISBN-13: 9780446541152

Dimensions: 5.62 x 8.64 x 0.91 inches

Shipping Weight: 0.82 lbs

• Categories: Contagious Disease