As the leaves turn yellow and there is a bite in the air, our thoughts turn to winter and the inevitable colds, coughs, and congestion that come with moving indoors. As you look at a wall of decongestants, cough suppressants and expectorants at your local pharmacy, how do you choose the best products to ease your family’s suffering? Here are some helpful hints for the next time the cold bug bites…
Prevention is the best medicine
Practise good hand washing techniques around people with colds, and encourage your children to do the same, particularly before meals.
Remember: Antibiotics won’t help
The common cold with sore throat, congestion, cough and mild fever, is caused by hundreds of different viruses. As we know, antibiotics will not kill viruses and may in fact, lead to bacterial resistance, diarrhea and yeast infections. Because there are so many types of viruses which can cause the common cold, it is not unusual to get a few colds in a typical cold season, each caused by a different virus. There is likely nothing wrong with your child’s immune system if this happens; They have just been unlucky enough to have been exposed to different strains of cold viruses.
When to worry
If the cold is accompanied by a high fever, or fever for longer than three days, a cough productive of green mucous or which lasts longer than one week, severe headache, extreme fatigue, rash, chest pain or shortness of breath, see your doctor.
When to use:
Decongestants
To assist with runny nose, sinus pressure or ear pressure. These constrict blood vessels in the nose and decrease swelling and secretions. There are topical sprays and oral forms. Topical sprays should be used only for a few days, otherwise congestion may actually increase. They can cause nasal dryness and nose bleeds. Oral forms can cause palpitations and nervousness. They should not be used in people with heart problems, high blood pressure and thyroid problems, and should be used cautiously by pregnant and breastfeeding women. The simplest decongestant is saline, or salt water, which is available in spray form. It can be used by everyone with nasal congestion, including newborns.
Expectorants
To thin secretions so they can be cleared better. Usually, expectorants actually increase the amount of mucous produced and, as such they do not work very well. Your best remedy to encourage expectoration is to stay well hydrated, drinking plenty of fluids and to use a well-maintained humidifier. If you wish to choose an expectorant, look for products containing guaifenesin, which is very safe.
Cough Suppressants
Are best used for non-productive, or dry coughs. Dextromethorphan is the most common and most useful over the counter cough suppressant. Codeine is another useful cough suppressant. You must ask the pharmacist for access to cough suppressants containing codeine. Alternatively, your doctor can prescribe stronger codeine containing cough suppressants. Generally, if a cough is productive of mucous, it should not be suppressed except if it is preventing sleep, thereby hindering recovery.
Anti-Histamines
Have no place in the management of colds. These medications target allergy symptoms.
Pain and Fever Medications
Very useful for controlling the discomfort of pain and fever which accompanies most colds. Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen are both effective for this purpose. Acetaminophen can be given every four hours and Ibuprofen, every eight hours. Be sure to avoid products containing aspirin or ASA in children.
Many over the counter cold products have combinations of the above ingredients. A good combination for a usual cold with runny nose and dry cough is a preparation containing a decongestant and dextromethorphan. Stay away from products that have combinations which work in opposite ways such as an expectorant and cough suppressant, or an expectorant and anti-histamine. Tylenol has now produced a line of cold formulations for children. If you use these products, remember not to give extra Tylenol, or acetaminophen, as it is already in the combination syrup.
The cure for the common cold is a long way away. However, using a few simple medications, lots of rest, fluids and TLC, we will all survive another cold season relatively unharmed.
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