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