Does anyone think that lysol can help end a cold faster?

Question

I have had a bad cold for the past week and just last night I sprayed several areas of the house with lysol and today my cold has been nearly ended. The congestion in my chest and sinuses is nearly gone today. I walked through and inhaled the lysol until it settled/ dissapated. I don't think it is a coincidence. What do you think? Anyone have any insight into this?

Answer 1

Possible but unlikely.

What may have happened... is that it wasn't a cold to begin with. Most of the symptoms you mentioned are allergic reactions... which may have been caused by the cold virus, but could have been caused by something entirely different.

Perhaps the Lysol (which is mostly alcohol) killed something else that was causing the allergic reaction. Perhaps bacteria, perhaps fungus... who knows. Anything can be an allergen.

I find it unlikely, as once the cold viruses invade cells, they proliferate until your body fights them off or prevents them from growing. I'm not sure how inhaled alcohol solution could pass onto the cellular level from just a few inhalations.

On the other hand, you do mention you had your cold for the "past week", so the bug may have run its course by the time you started the spraying.

They have however used inhaled alcohol in studies on "Foaming" Pulmonary Edema... but your symptoms do not match Pulmonary Edema. I'll include a link for the abstract to that study, as it's pretty interesting. They've used alcohol in the past to pop the foam bubbles associated with Pulmonary Edema.

You don't have a history of cardiac problems, do you? Pulmonary Edema is probably unlikely.