It could only be cold season; classes filled with sneezing, pockets packed with tissues and long lines at Hall Health.

According to medicinenet.com, adults suffer an average of seven colds a year. At a large university, colds are pervasive, passing quickly from one person to another.

Although symptoms vary, the most common diagnosis for the common cold includes nasal stuffiness or discharge, low energy headache, sore throat, cough and a low fever, said Hall Health physician Dr. David Dugdale.

However, unlike other infections, these symptoms can't be treated by an antibiotic.

"Antibiotics don't work for a cold because what's causing a cold is not susceptible to antibiotics," Dugdale said. "Most colds are caused by a whole host of viruses; medically they're called rhinoviruses."

During a cold, there are several ways to treat it, and pinpointing the symptoms is a first step.

"The best way to deal with a cold is to deal with symptom that bothers you most," Dugdale said.

Despite what people may think, combination cold pills like Dayquil are not as effective as taking a decongestant like Sudafed or a pain reliever like Tylenol, Dugdale said.

"When it comes to Sudafed, it's important to note that there's two types," he explained. "What you want is pseudophederine. In this state you have to show your drivers license [to buy it]. ... If you buy the Sudafed that you don't need your drivers license for, it won't work as well. Most of the combination cold pills have the least effective Sudafed in them."

While the professional opinion is helpful, many prefer to turn to a more traditional expert: Mom.

Yvonne Hackett is the mother of a college sophomore and high school junior and considers herself to be pretty well versed in cold remedies. Like Dugdale, she believes that treating the symptoms is the most important.

"I treat the symptoms instead of [using] a wonder pill like Theraflu," Hackett said. "If a person has a headache, you give them Tylenol. If they have just the sniffles, I pump them with Vitamin C and liquids."

Hackett also suggests popsicles, hot tea with lemon and honey and steamy showers for stuffy noses.

"When you're stuffed up, you lose liquids," she said. "You need to get those back somehow — whether through popsicles, tea or flavored water. I think tea is key."

Hackett also emphasized the value of Vick's Vapor Rub.

"My own mom used to use Vicks Vapor Rub on my chest. ... You smell like one big cough drop. If your nose gets really worn out from blowing, put Vick's Vapor Rub under your nose at night to help you breathe," she said.

Vicks Vapor Rub, like any menthol, Dugdale said, has biological properties that do help with stuffiness.

"With respect to tea and soup and that kind of thing, people with acold will get dehydrated maybe because they have a fever or aren't eating as much; tea and soup might help with that. Secondly, when some people drink warm liquids, that actually helps decongest their nose," he said.

In regards to Hackett's suggestion of Vitamin C, Dugdale noted the current trend of taking vitamins and other supplements.

"This is an area of a lot of controversy, as well as a lot of research, [and] the data in general are conflicting," he said. "About six years ago there was a research study that Zinc lozenges reduced cold symptoms, and the following year a study didn't have those results. Together there's not a lot of supporting evidence over the placebo effect."

However, Dugdale did not discourage taking vitamins.

"There are individuals that do report positive experiences with one or more of these," he said.

Vitamins, tea, soup and cold medicine are all popular ways of remedying colds, but once in while there's a method that seems completely out there.

Growing up, freshman Jessica Baskaran's father was adamant about the usefulness of onions.

"[He] used to give me a sliced onion to rub on my chest," Baskaran said. "The vapor was supposed to make you feel better, I guess. He's from Spain — it's an old remedy, his mom told him."

Not only would Baskaran's dad tell her to rub an onion on her chest, but he'd make her put a wool sock on top.

"It's to insulate it, or keep it warm," she said.

She laughed when asked if she used onions in college.

"I just drink a lot of liquids and teas," she said.

Freshman Daniel Veja's mom used to make him eat bread with butter and garlic.

"My family never used medicine," he said. "I guess they were superstitious or something."

If onions, tea and cold medicine fail, it might be something more than a cold.

"Don't wait; if you have a cold more than a week, a couple of weeks, something's wrong," Hackett said.

Dugdale agrees and said that "if you're short of breath when you cough" or if "there's white pus covering your throat," it could be something more serious.

Overall, the best way to treat a cold is rest, and what college student could argue with an excuse for more sleep?

"When I have a cold, I just sleep a lot," Veja said.

[Reach reporter Erika Cederlind at features@thedaily.washington.edu.]