Cold FLU SYMPTOM RELIEF
 

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Keep the humidifier clean to avoid a buildup of mold, which could be harmful if inhaled. Saline nasal drops and suctioning with a bulb syringe can help infants and small children breathe better. But be gentle because aggravating the nasal passages could make swelling worse. Also, dress sick children comfortably--like you would dress yourself, Pickering says. "Some parents bundle them up if they have a fever, but that can make it worse."

Choose over-the-counter (OTC) medicines that are appropriate for your symptoms.

With all the choices on the shelves, it can be hard to know what medicine to pick. It may seem easier to grab a multi-symptom medicine that promises to take care of everything, but it's better to take a product specific to your symptoms, says Jeffrey Delafuente, a professor and director of geriatric programs at Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Pharmacy.

"If your only problem is a runny nose, why take a cough suppressant?" he says. Taking medicine for symptoms you don't have may not be harmful, he adds, but it unnecessarily exposes you to medicine and the accompanying side effects.

"Multi-symptom medicines can be useful if you truly have many symptoms."

If you want to unclog a stuffy nose, then nasal decongestants may help. Cough suppressants quiet coughs; expectorants loosen mucus so you can cough it up; antihistamines help stop a runny nose and sneezing; and pain relievers such as acetaminophen can ease fever, headaches, and minor aches. Check with a pediatrician or your family physician first before treating children suffering from cold and flu symptoms with medicine.

Don't give aspirin or aspirin-containing medicines to children and teen-agers.

Children and teen-agers suffering from flu-like symptoms, chickenpox and other viral illnesses shouldn't take aspirin because of the possibility of Reye's syndrome. Some medicine labels may refer to aspirin as salicylate or salicylic acid. Be sure to educate teen-agers, who may take OTC medicines without their parents' knowledge.

Children with Reye's syndrome start vomiting and become drowsy within a few days of becoming sick. The disorder, which is now rare, can affect all body organs and lead to brain damage and death. Reye's syndrome occurs almost exclusively in children 4 to 12 years of age and is rare in adults, Pickering says.

Read OTC medicine labels carefully and follow directions.

Use the dosing device that comes with the medicine and don't exceed recommended dosages or length of use. Taking a nasal spray for too long during a cold could result in an even stuffier nose, for example. Always check with a doctor first if the correct dose for a child isn't listed on a label and before giving a child more than one medicine at a time.

Delafuente says he tells older people, who often take multiple medications, to check with a doctor or pharmacist before taking a new OTC cough and cold medicine because some can worsen underlying health problems, such as high blood pressure or heart disease. Decongestants can speed up heart rate, for example, and antihistamines can cause urinary retention in men with prostate problems. For both young and old, antihistamines can make you drowsy, which could affect driving.

Be sure to check expiration dates and get rid of old medicine. The FDA has warned consumers against using OTC and prescription drug products containing phenylpropanolamine because the ingredient has been associated with an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding in the brain). This ingredient was commonly used as a decongestant in OTC and prescription cough and cold medicines before the warning.

Be careful not to double up on ingredients.

If you take more than one medication at a time, be careful not to duplicate ingredients, says Marina Chang, a pharmacist with the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "Look at the active ingredients of every medicine you take," she says.

For example, you don't want to accidentally take two different medicines that both contain acetaminophen. The same goes for taking acetaminophen tablets to relieve pain while also taking a cough medicine containing acetaminophen. Too much of this drug can result in liver damage.

Jon Temte, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of family medicine at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, recalls a young woman who came in complaining of a racing heartbeat and anxiousness. He discovered her symptoms occurred because she had taken two different products, both containing a decongestant.

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