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Cold Treatment
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COLD FLU TREATMENT OTC cough-cold products can make you more comfortable while you suffer," says Debbie Lumpkins, a scientist with the Food and Drug Administration's division of over-the-counter drug products. "They are intended to treat the symptoms of minor conditions, not to treat the underlying illness." Don't bother taking antibiotics to treat your flu or cold; antibiotics do not kill viruses, and they should be used only for bacterial complications such as sinus or ear infections. |
Overuse of antibiotics has become a very serious problem, leading to a resistance in disease-causing bacteria that may render antibiotics ineffective for certain conditions.
Children and teenagers with symptoms of flu or chickenpox should not take aspirin or products containing aspirin or other salicylates. Use of these products in young flu and chickenpox sufferers has been associated with Reye syndrome, a rare condition that can be fatal. Because cold symptoms can be similar to those of the flu, it's best not to give aspirin to people under 20 with these types of symptoms.
The active ingredients FDA considers safe and effective for relieving certain symptoms of colds or flu fall into the following categories:
Nasal decongestants open up the nasal passages. They can be applied topically, in the form of sprays or drops, or taken orally. But using sprays or drops longer than three days may cause nasal congestion to worsen. | |
Antitussives, also known as cough suppressants, can quiet coughs due to minor throat irritations. They include drugs taken orally, as well as topical medications like throat lozenges and ointments to be rubbed on the chest or used in a vaporizer. | |
Expectorants, taken orally, help loosen mucus and make coughs more productive. |
Until recently, another category of over-the-counter drugs called "antihistamines" was approved only for use by sufferers of hay fever and some other allergies. In October, clemastine fumarate, the active ingredient in products such as Tavist-1 and Tavist-D, was approved to treat cold symptoms. The effectiveness of other OTC antihistamines for this use is still being studied.
Most nonprescription cough-cold remedies contain a combination of ingredients to attack multiple symptoms. These combination products often contain antipyretics to reduce fever and analgesics to relieve minor aches, pains and headaches.
Users of OTC medicines should carefully follow the labeling instructions and warnings. Under a new FDA rule, all OTC products will soon have labels with a standardized format and simplified language to help consumers understand the information.
Cold Symptoms | Cold Symptom Relief
Cold Symptoms Flu Symptoms | Colds Flu
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Cold Symptoms | Cold Symptom Relief | Cold Symptoms Flu Symptoms | Colds Flu
