| Choosing an effective common cold treatment | | | | infection of the sinuses. |
| may be frustrating. Common cold symptoms can | | | | |
| vary and finding a product that works to | | | | A commonly held myth about common cold |
| relieve all of your symptoms may be | | | | treatment is that allowing the nose to run |
| difficult, if not impossible. Busy adults | | | | and sneezing to continue will reduce the |
| often look for common cold treatments that | | | | duration of the infection. This non-treatment |
| will relieve their symptoms without making | | | | increases the likelihood that sinus and upper |
| them drowsy, but according to the National | | | | respiratory bacterial infections will occur. |
| Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases | | | | Plus, sneezing, coughing and nasal secretions |
| (NIAID) bed rest is good for you, when you | | | | transmit the viruses to other people. Common |
| have a cold. In fact, adequate rest is | | | | cold treatments not only relieve symptoms, |
| important at all times for maintaining a | | | | but prevent the spread of the virus and |
| healthy immune system and general good | | | | reduce the chance of developing |
| health. | | | | complications. |
| | | | |
| In addition to bed rest, the NIAID recommends | | | | Other myths about common cold treatments |
| drinking plenty of fluids and gargling with | | | | include "feeding a cold" and inhaling steam |
| warm salt water as common cold treatments. | | | | to relieve symptoms. While good nutrition is |
| Scratchy or sore throat may be relieved by | | | | important, there is no evidence that |
| using sprays or throat lozenges. Petroleum | | | | increasing food intake during a cold will |
| jelly may relieve a raw nose and using soft | | | | relieve symptoms or reduce recovery time. |
| tissues or those treated with lotions may be | | | | While inhaling steam may temporarily relieve |
| more soothing than regular paper tissue. | | | | congestion, health experts do not believe |
| Another common cold treatment, which the | | | | that this is an effective common cold |
| NIAID recommends is aspirin or acetaminophen | | | | treatment. |
| to relieve headache, fever or body aches. | | | | |
| However, research indicates that aspirin use | | | | Common cold symptoms may include headache and |
| for common cold treatment increases the | | | | low fever. The headache results from |
| amount of virus in nasal secretions, meaning | | | | irritation of the sinuses and stuffy nose. |
| that transmitting the virus to others is more | | | | The fever is the body's reaction to the viral |
| likely. | | | | infection. Although doctor visits for common |
| | | | cold treatment are generally unnecessary, |
| Children under the age of 18, should not be | | | | colds are one of the leading causes of doctor |
| given aspirin containing products, due to the | | | | visits annually. Over the counter products, |
| risk of Reye's syndrome, a disease that | | | | such as antihistamines, decongestants, cough |
| affects all of the organs of the body, can | | | | suppressants and analgesics are usually the |
| have long-lasting consequences and can lead | | | | only things that a doctor will recommend as |
| to brain damage or death in some children. It | | | | common cold treatments. Antibiotics will have |
| is advisable to check the ingredients in any | | | | no effect on common cold symptoms and will |
| common cold treatments before giving them to | | | | only be prescribed if complications, such as |
| children. Many antihistamines and | | | | bacterial infection of the ears or sinuses |
| decongestants contain small amounts of | | | | are present. |
| aspirin or other pain relievers, as do other | | | | |
| multi-symptom common cold treatments. | | | | According to the Center for Disease Control |
| | | | and Prevention, 22 million school days are |
| The common cold is a viral infection of the | | | | lost each year in the United States due to |
| lining of the nose. Thus, typical common cold | | | | common cold symptoms. And, often when the |
| symptoms include sneezing, runny or stuffy | | | | kids catch a cold, parents become affected, |
| nose and difficulty breathing through the | | | | too, leading to lost days of work, not to |
| nose. Coughing usually results from | | | | mention a week or more of miserable days |
| irritation of the throat when nasal fluids | | | | spent suffering. Since there is no cure for |
| drain into the throat. Some of the viruses | | | | the common cold and the most effective common |
| that cause common cold symptoms may lead to | | | | cold treatments can only reduce symptoms or |
| upper respiratory or sinus infections. | | | | length of duration, focus must be on |
| Blowing the nose forces mucus and bacteria | | | | prevention. |
| into the sinuses and can lead to bacterial | | | | |