Self Defence - or self offence?

This Winter has been weird - it's not been one thing or another. Mild, then cold; mild, then freezing; mild, then pouring rain. It hasn't made up its mind at all. And that's a surefire recipe for getting colds and sniffles - each time the weather warms, all the bugs and germs go crazy infecting us.

I felt a cold coming on just after Christmas, so I practically ran to the nearest chemist and got myself a bottle of Vicks First Defence. Now, they don't claim that this product will cure a cold, but they do say it will shorten the duration of the cold and possibly lessen the effects. So off I sprayed. You're recommended to do it a few times a day for 2 or 3 days, which I dutifully did.

And yep, the effects of the impending head cold were definitely diminished. But, and this is a big but - the cold bug evidently decided to go and take up residence in my throat instead, where it merrily resided for over a week. Owww, it was bloody sore, and no amount of Lemsip or Strepsils would shift the bugger. It wasn't until I broke my New Year's resolution to not drink and ended up with a dreadful hangover that the sore throat went away.

Which leads me to the conclusion that where First Defence fails, many, many glasses of white wine will succeed! Hurrah!