If You Have Congestion
In the beginning stages of the common cold, it’s not unusual to experience nasal congestion , says Dr. Mandal. Treatments can range from taking a steam vaporizer, drinking plenty of fluids, and using a saline nasal spray.
These types of treatments can loosen up phlegm, help open up the passages, and keep the nasal passages moist, she explains.
Over-the-counter decongestants also help open up the passages by reducing swelling in the nasal passages, adds Dr. Mandal. Nasal sprays such as Afrin and Neo-Synephrine can also be used but should not be used for more than three days at a time because they can cause rebound nasal congestion. Sudafed is another decongestant option that comes in tablet or pill form.
Its Best To Choose Cold And Flu Medication By Symptom
The key to picking the right product or products to help you feel better faster is to zero in on your symptoms. Also important: Whenever possible, stick to single-ingredient remedies to reduce the risk of side effects, says Nate Favini, MD, an internist and medical director of the nationwide healthcare system Forward.
Choose a medication thats going to directly address the symptom or symptoms that are bothering you rather than a cocktail that may include things you dont need, he says. For example, if the label of a cold or flu medication says that it treats fevers, coughs, and runny noses but you have only a cough, choose a simple cough suppressant instead.
What Are The Best Cold And Flu Tablets To Take
We all feel rubbish when we come down with a cold or flu. The great news is, with cold and flu medicine, we dont have to suffer too much. A brilliant go-to when youre not feeling great is Lemsip Max Cold & Flu capsules – they help to relieve headaches, body aches, fever, blocked noses and sore throats. If youve found that paracetamol and ibuprofen arent quite doing the job for aches and pains, you could try Solpadeine Max tablets, which contain codeine and paracetamol to help to reduce fever and relieve pain. You shouldnt use them for more than three days. If youre struggling with a sore throat, we recommend stocking up on Strepsils Sore Throat & Cough lozenges.
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Best Cold Medicine For Sore Throat And Coughing
If your coughing is making your throat sore, look for a medication that contains dextromethorphan. Dextromethorphan helps control your brains signal to your body that you need to cough. This can decrease your coughing symptoms enough to promote healing of a sore throat, but it doesnt treat the cause of your coughing.
Some medications that contain dextromethorphan also contain an ingredient called guaifenesin. This ingredient is an expectorant, which thins out mucus and helps your cough to be productive, meaning that youre coughing out mucus that could be aggravating your throat and chest.
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Runny Nose Watery Eyes And Sneezing
When you have a cold, your body makes chemicals called histamines. That leads to sneezing, a runny nose, and watery eyes.
Over-the-counter antihistamines such as chlorpheniramine and diphenhydramine block this process and can relieve those symptoms. They can also make you sleepy and dry out your eyes, nose, and mouth. Antihistamines can make secretions thick, which can be a problem for people with asthma.
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What Are The Main Medicines For A Fever/raised Temperature
A fever, where the bodys temperature rises over the usual 36-37oC, is caused by bacteria or an infection.
The temperature in the body rises in order to kill off certain bacteria types that may be susceptible to temperature changes.
The temperature change also kicks white blood cells into action, so that they can work on removing the bacteria and/or infection.
The actual best medicine for a fever is contentious.
This is because a fever is a response to an infection or bacteria, so lowering it can cause the infection to get worse.
Therefore, the best medicine for a fever is most likely non-medical.
Examples of non-medical fever treatments include staying hydrating and cold baths.
Basically, try to keep cool as much as possible.
If a fever doesnt subside and the temperature rises, then you should go and see a doctor.
Who Should Get An Annual Flu Shot
The Centers for Disease Control recommends the following groups receive an annual flu vaccine shot between November and February :
- All people aged six months and older.
It is especially important for certain individuals at high risk of flu complications and those who come in contact with people at high risk of complications to receive the flu vaccine. These people at high risk include:
- Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
- People who have chronic medical conditions such as asthma, heart disease, diabetes, kidney and liver disorders and chronic lung diseases.
- People with a weakened immune system, for example, people with cancer, HIV/AIDS, or chronic steroid users.
- Household members and caregivers of patients at risk of complications from the flu.
- Women who are or will be pregnant during the flu season .
- Healthcare workers who come into close contact with patients in hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and other healthcare facilities.
- Infants and children ages six months through 18 years who are taking long-term aspirin therapy. This puts these individuals at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after flu infection.
- American Indians/Alaska natives.
- People who have close contact with children under five years of age for example, people who live with children, nannies and providers of daycare services.
- People with Class III obesity .
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Do You Have A Cold Or The Flu
You feel a tickle in your throat, and then a headache coming on. You start to sniffle or sneeze, and suddenly you feel really tired. You know youre coming down with something but is it a cold, or do you have the flu?
With both conditions your symptoms can include a sore throat, runny nose, headache, body aches, chills, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and sometimes diarrhea, says Dr. Denise Campbell-Scherer, an associate professor in the department of family medicine at the University of Alberta. The main difference is that with the flu, youll have a temperature above 37.8°C. Flu symptoms also tend to come on suddenly, are more severe and are at their worst for the first three or four days after that, it can take up to two weeks before you feel better. A cold can linger anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, although one week is typical.
Cough And Cold Medicines Adults
Cough and cold medicines do not cure your cough or cold but may help to ease your symptoms. If you have cough or cold symptoms it is important that you get tested for COVID-19. If you test positive, or think you might, ask friends or whnau to go to the pharmacy to get medicines for you rather than going in yourself.
On this page you can find the following information:
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The Best Medicine For Stuffy Nose And Sinus Pain:
shrink swollen blood vessels and tissues in your nose, making breathing easier. One type, pseudoephedrine , is sold without a prescription but only from behind the pharmacy counter and in limited quantities because it can be used to make the illegal drug methamphetamine .
Nasal decongestant sprays containing the active ingredient oxymetazoline do a good job of reducing stuffiness after just one dose, shows research in the December 1, 2019, issue of the journal Rhinology. However, you shouldn’t use these sprays for more than three days in a row or your stuffy nose could get worse, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Preservative-free saline nasal sprays , which contain a small amount of salt diluted in sterilized water to help moisturize inflamed nasal passages, tend to be safe for daily use in people of all ages.
Vitamins And Supplements To Fight Cold And Flu
If you believe you might have a flu virus, you should see your physician as soon as possible to be tested and to determine a course of action for healing and recovery. In fact, even if you just have a cold , its worth a discussion with your physician or even a pharmacist to get proper guidance on any of these:
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The Best Cold And Flu Medicines
Most people catch at least one or two colds annually. What Australians refer to as ‘the common cold’ is more than likely one of the 200 or more strains of rhinoviruses. Colds are invasive without discrimination, and there is no quick fix to make colds and influenza go away, but there are over the counter medications that can ease symptoms and lessen the impact of a cold on daily activities.
At Amcal, we understand that Australians appreciate choices and options when it comes to pharmaceutical products, and it is also good to know that old favourites such as Lemsip, Codral Cold & Flu, Bisolvon and Vicks are as ready and reliable as ever. Explore Amcal cold & flu medication ingredients that include paracetamol, phenylephrine, pseudoephedrine, anti-inflammatories, antihistamines and menthol.
There are a lot of active ingredients used in various cold and flu medications. There is no one-size-fits-all medication for all colds and flus, and Amcal allows you to choose a cold medicine based on your personal symptoms. Symptoms of a typical cold include:
- Aches and fever
Here are several different types of cold and flu tablets and ingredients worth considering, according to your symptoms.
Best Cold Medicine For Runny Nose
A runny nose is how the body reacts to the inflammation and irritation that a cold virus is causing in the nasal passages.
If you take a decongestant for a runny nose, your symptoms may get better if you have congestion. But, a decongestant may cause undesirable effects as well, such as raising your blood pressure or making your nose and throat feel too dry.
Thats why diphenhydramine might be better for drying up a runny nose if you do not feel too congested. Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine, which means it reduces your bodys natural reaction to irritants and pathogens, which may help if your runny nose is because your body is releasing histamines. Benadryl also might make you drowsy, which is why its best to take this medication at bedtime.
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What Is The Best Cold Medicine To Use
Unlike the flu medicine, Tamiflu , there is no antiviral medication available for the common cold. The best cold medicine to use will vary depending on the symptoms someone has. For example, someone who has a cold and cough may need to take a cough suppressant, whereas someone with a cold and stuffy nose might need to take a decongestant. Taking a decongestant when you dont have a stuffy nose probably isnt going to help you if youre searching for relief from a sore throat.
Finding the best cold medicine depends on which cold symptoms you want the most relief fromfind a medication that treats those symptoms. Some treatments even provide multi-symptom relief and would say so on the label.
If youre still unsure about which cold medicine to choose, you can always ask your healthcare provider, including your pharmacist, for advice. Its also a good idea to ask your doctor or pharmacist if taking cold medicine will interfere with your prescription medications, as drug-drug interactions can cause unwanted side effects.
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Cold And Cough Medicines Often Contain More Than One Ingredient
Cold and cough medicines often contain more than one ingredient that do different things, such as clearing your nose or chest, relieving pain and discomfort or reducing the urge to cough. Choosing a suitable cough and cold medicine will depend on your symptoms, and any health conditions you may have. If you have any health conditions, always ask your pharmacist before taking cold and cough medicines. Some products may not be suitable for you.
Other products to treat coughs and colds
- Throat lozenges and sprays: Sore throat products are available as lozenges, sprays or gargles. Some contain anaesthetics and may provide temporary relief from sore throat. Most of them can be used every 2 to 3 hours. Some lozenges have a lot of sugar in them and may not be suitable for people with diabetes. Read more about medicines for sore throat.
- Cough syrups: Some cough syrups are thought to loosen mucus making it easier to cough up while others may control the urge to cough . Examples of cough suppressants found in cold and cough medicines are dextromethorphan, pholcodine and codeine. It is unclear whether cough syrups work.
Combination Cough And Cold Medicines
Cough and cold medicines are often used for symptom relief however its important to know there is not enough evidence showing they work well, particularly in children.
Cough and cold medicines should not be given to children under 6. You should ask a doctor, pharmacist or nurse practitioner for advice before giving cough and cold medicines to children aged 6 to 11 years.
Cough and cold medicines often contain paracetamol, so it is important to check the label to avoid doubling up and taking other medicines that also contain paracetamol.
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In Store From The Pharmacy Online And Deliveroo
Boots offer a range of convenient ways to look after your health this winter
Deliveroo: Boots has teamed up with Deliveroo to deliver healthcare products and toiletries straight to your door from your nearest store with contact-free delivery and delivery on demand*.
In store: Visit one of the more than 2,100 Boots stores across the UK. There you will have access to over the counter medicine.
Online: Boots offers a wide range of health and wellness products online, including medicine. Certain medicines are sold at the discretion of a pharmacist and one may be required to contact you by phone to check suitability.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE BOOTS WEBSITE TO SHOP AND LEARN MORE
*Geographical exclusions. Service and delivery fees apply. Total minimum spend £15. Prices on Deliveroo may differ to those in-store or on Boots.com.
It’s predicted that there will be high levels of flu this winter given an increase in social mixing compared to the last few years where we have been in lockdown.
Getting the flu jab is the best way to help protect you and those around you against catching and spreading the flu virus.
Boots offers the free NHS flu jab for eligible adults and also a private winter flu jab service at a wide range of locations at a time that suits you.
Read on to discover everything you need to know to prepare yourself for this cold and flu season…
WINTER ILLNESSES: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Your immune system
The common cold
The flu