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Cold and Flu

by Jenny Rieck

Cold and Flu Treatments

The Cold

You've probably heard it said a million times before, “There's no cure for the common cold.” Sadly, it's true. Little can be done to cure or even shorten the duration of a cold once you have it. (The complex and changing surface of a cold virus, made up of a tough-to-penetrate mosaic of protein molecules, makes it notoriously difficult for modern medicine to conquer).

As a result, the best thing to do is to try to lessen and deal with the symptoms while you have them.

1. Getting plenty of rest and staying hydrated are the most critical in the path to recovery. 
2. Local drugs stores devote aisles to medications designed to lessen the symptoms of the common cold; you should consider taking fever reducers, decongestants, and body ache medicines. Always use such medicines according to the directions on the package and never for more than a few days: if taken too much and too often, such medicines can actually make cold symptoms worse! And remember: these medicines do not cure or shorten the duration of a cold. They simply ease symptoms and make you more comfortable while you are sick.

Tips For Over the Counter Medications

Here are the most helpful tips regarding OTC medicines to ease symptoms when you have a cold

• For fever, sore throat and headache, try acetaminophen, such as Tylenol, Ibuprofen or other mild pain relievers like aspirin.
• For runny nose and nasal congestion, you can take a decongestant. Saline nasal drops and sprays are effective and non-irritating. Only take them for a few days though: use over time can cause chronic inflammation of your mucous membranes, a more serious problem than a common cold!
• Use a lozenge or a throat spray to deal with that annoying itch in the throat: These medicines provide temporary relief that will go a long way in making life bearable. But remember, although many of these products have the look and taste of candy, they are medicine and should be taken according to the package directions. Chloraseptic, and several other brands, also includes a mild local anaesthetic known as benzocaine in their sprays which can be particularly helpful in reducing the discomfort of a sore throat.
• A nonprescription cough medicine, such as Robitussin, that contains dextromethorphan can help with a dry hacking cough.
• There are quite a few oral medications designed specifically to ease the all-around cold symptoms, as well. Always check the packages' directions to make sure there are no medicine combinations that could cause you harm. (For example, you shouldn't take some decongestants if you're also taking insulin, diet pills or MAOIs. Likewise, people who take Tylenol and then a cold remedy that contains acetaminophen can overdose on acetaminophen. Always carefully check the information insert. When in doubt, consult your doctor). Each one claims to treat different symptoms: some combine a cough suppressant with a pain medication, while others combine a decongestant and a moisturizer. Try to match the medicine to your symptoms, or else look for a good all-around treatment which has medication for multiple cold symptoms such as Sudafed Cold & Cough.
• And be sure to use special tissues and Vaseline to keep your nose in good condition: Towards the end of your cold, you may find that you’ve developed a raw, red, irritated nose from too much nose blowing. Many companies manufacture tissues that have lotion in them specifically made for the purpose of preventing and treating these poor noses. Petroleum jelly smeared on the area is another, although not so attractive, option for sufferers of sore noses.

Cold Rememdy Myths

There are a few “cold remedies” which don't work and should not be used when you have a cold:

Myth	Reality
“Starve a cold, feed a fever."	There is no evidence that not eating during a cold makes recovery any faster or lessens symptoms. In fact, you need healthy food to strengthen your immune system. Eat when you have a cold.
Antibiotics can speed up recovery from a cold by killing bad bacteria.	A cold is cause by a virus. Antibiotics destroy bacteria, not viruses. Antibiotics won't improve a cold
Antihistamines ease the “cold-like” symptoms that occur with allergies and should be taken for a cold.	Antihistamines actually dry out the mucous membranes and may end up making cold symptoms worse.

Treating The Flu

As with a cold, there's not a whole lot of good news when it comes to “curing” the flu. There simply is no quick cure, so you simply have to be patient and treat the symptoms.

Your best bets, again, are the things your mother told you about: bed rest, getting plenty of fluids and perhaps an over the counter medication.

Since many of the symptoms of flu are the same as the symptoms of cold, you can use many of the same medicines in the same way. The same tips regarding treatment of symptoms for cold listed above also apply to flu. You'll notice that many, such as Tylenol Cold and Flu are labeled to indicate that they can be used to treat symptoms of both cold and flu.

A good pain medication, such as ibubrofen or aspirin is a good place to start.  Aspirin and ibuprofen can also help lower inflammation and fever which can be helpful in treating the flu.

Since the flu can be dangerous, you should see a doctor if you:

• Are at risk for complications from the illness. People who are very old, very young, sick with other sever illnesses, or otherwise immuno-suppressed should be seen by a doctor if they develop flu symptoms.
• Have trouble breathing and/or pain when breathing and/or a severe sore throat
• Have a cough that produces a lot of green or yellow mucus
• Feel faint
• Have a very high fever
• Have been sick for more than 7 days?

What about alternative medicine? Click next to read about homeopathic remedies for cold and flu.