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Quick Tips
 | Flu and cold symptoms are similar
 | High fever usually indicates flu, colds have little or no fever |
| Flu symptoms are more severe |
| Flu shots greatly reduce the risk of getting the flu but have no effect
on colds one way or the other |
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| Decongestants help reduce the stuffy nose and sinuses of a
cold
| Pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine are the only two decongestants
available OTC. |
| Pseudoephedrine is the more effective decongestant. Though no
prescription is needed, in many states you have to ask the pharmacist for it
(due to its use in illegal drug manufacture) |
| Decongestants do not effect the cold symptoms of sneezing,
cough, body ache, or runny nose; they simply reduce the stuffiness
caused by these effects. |
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Decongestants act by constricting blood vessels which
helps reduce the swollen nose and sinus tissue that causes stuffiness.
| Pain medication can help
reduce the sore throat, body ache, headache, and fever
| There are only four drugs in two classes of generics
approved for pain relief OTC
 | Acetaminophen |
| NSAIDS (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs)
| Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Aspirin |
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| Cough suppressants are of limited value
| Dextromethorphan is the only OTC cough suppressant |
| This drug is supposed to reduce the cough reflex but is of limited
effect in most people |
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| Expectorants can be somewhat helpful
| The only expectorant available in OTC products is guaifenesin |
| Guaifenesin helps to thin mucus to make it easier to clear from the
lungs |
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| Antihistamines are not very effective in treating cold
symptoms (but are for allergies ) |
The runny nose of a cold is not like that of an
allergy, which is caused by histamine release (see Allergy
Page). These drugs usually have only a limited effect on cold symptoms. They
do however make many people sleepy and are place in "nighttime" cold remedies
for that very reason.
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