Treatment & Care

Learn which cold medicines to take, which ones are safe, and which ones may cause problems. Also, learn more about natural remedies and find the most effective cold treatment for you.

Cough and Cold Medications
1. Over-the-Counter Drugs There's no cure for the cold, but lots of medicines can give you some relief from the coughing, sneezing, and stuffiness that go with it.
2. Decongestants and Antihistamines Are you all stuffed up and sneezing away because of a cold? Decongestants and antihistamines can help. They come in different forms, and they're often mixed into combination drugs that you can buy without a prescription.
3. Nasal Sprays When you're stuffed up from a cold, you can get fast relief from a nasal spray. But take a minute to learn the different types and how to use them.
4. Cough Medicine and Cough Syrups Three types of medicines can ease a cough caused by a cold or bronchitis: suppressants, expectorants, and topicals (ointments you apply to your skin).
5. Aches and Pain Some good choices for pain relief when you have a cold are acetaminophen or NSAIDs like aspirin, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and naproxen.
6. Antibiotics and Colds Antibiotics won't help your cold, yet many people assume they will. Learn why using antibiotics for a virus is a bad idea.
7. Cold Medicines for Kids There’s little evidence that children’s cold and cough medicines are effective, and some over-the-counter drugs may even be dangerous for kids. Here's what parents should know.
Non-Drug Ways to Ease Symptoms
1. Home Remedies Looking for a natural cold remedy? Here are 10 tips for treating cold symptoms without medication.
2. Echinacea Can the herb echinacea help you fight a cold? Studies have had mixed results.
3. Vitamin C Despite its widespread use, experts say there's very little proof that Vitamin C has any effect on colds.
4. Zinc Lozenges & Nasal Sprays Can zinc – an essential mineral that plays an important part in tissue repair – help bring relief from a cold? Maybe yes, maybe no.
Diet and Exercise
1. Starve a Cold, Feed a Fever? Learn the facts about eating well when you have a cold to speed your recovery.
2. Foods and Drinks to Help You Feel Better Chicken soup really can help you feel better when you have a cold. So can ginger tea. Here are recipes for these and other cold-fighting foods and drinks.
3. Exercising When You Have a Cold Exercise may help prevent colds. But is it a good idea to exercise if you have a cold?
How Not to Infect Others
1. Should You Go to Work? If you're showing signs of a cold, it's tough to know whether or not to go to work. These guidelines can help.
2. Stop the Spread of Germs Tips for preventing the spread of cold and flu germs; how to save yourself and protect others.
3. Keeping Infections Contained Germs are everywhere. Follow these five steps to help keep your family clear of contagious infections.

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