Research

Impact: The common cold costs the U.S. economy $40 billion a year, a new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine says.

"From a bottle of cough syrup to missed time at work and school, the price tag of catching a cold really adds up," said lead author A. Mark Fendrick, co-director of the Consortium for Health Outcomes, Innovation, Cost Effectiveness Studies at the University of Michigan Health Systems.

Colds cost more than other more serious conditions, including asthma, heart failure and emphysema, Fendrick said.

Researchers surveyed more than 4,000 households to find out how many colds they suffered and how respondents treated the ailment.

Results showed three-quarters of the respondents reported an average of 21/2 colds within the last year.

Costs included $2.9 billion for over-the-counter drugs, $400 million on prescriptions and $1.1 billion on antibiotics, even though antibiotics have no effect on viral illnesses like colds.

Tips

Getting help: The National Headache Foundation has advice for headache sufferers who need to seek treatment in the emergency room:

• When you check in at the ER, give the staff a prepared letter from your doctor detailing your headache diagnosis, treatment regimen and any test results. It will save time and add weight to your request for pain medication.

• Visit www.headaches.org to access an online form that outlines your condition and personal information so you can give it to ER staff.

• Request a cool, dark room when you check in, and politely explain that it will ease your headache.

• Realize that patients with life-threatening injuries and illnesses need to be seen first. Be sensitive to staff priorities.

Calendar

Meeting: The PKD Foundation Dayton-Cincinnati Chapter will meet 1 p.m. Sunday at Middletown Hospital. Free. Topic: "Understanding Lab Values" for pre-dialysis and dialysis patients. Information: Bonnie Griffith, 759-9877.

Safety net: Former Assistant Surgeon General Marilyn Gaston will be the keynote speaker Tuesday when the Health Alliance and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine hold a town hall meeting, "Caring for the Uninsured: Successes, Threats and Gaps," 5 to 7 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium, the UC Medical Sciences Building, 231 Albert Sabin Way. Reservations: 585-2273.

Help wanted

Lupus: The University of Cincinnati Medical Center needs volunteers for a study on ovarian or testicular failure in patients with childhood-onset lupus. People 40 and under who were diagnosed between 1981 and 2001 are needed. Information: Andrea Barron, 636-7164.

Siting

Need a weekly trivia fix? Visit www.whonamedit.com, a biographical dictionary of more than 6,000 ailments, signs, symptoms and anatomical features.

Contact Peggy O'Farrell by phone, 768-8510; fax, 768-8330, or e-mail pofarrell@enquirer.com