How to deal with and avoid sniffles and sneezes
Get ready, here it comes: The season to sniffle and sneeze, cough and wheeze. The time for scratchy throats, runny noses and itchy eyes. Cold season. Most likely, a cold won't do you in, but before it's through, you might wish it would. Today, we bring you the cold facts about colds, what you can do about them now and potential remedies of the future. So grab a box of tissues, ladle up some chicken soup and read on.
Treat yourself: Sleep, steam, soup can help
Mom was right - get plenty of rest. It's just one of the smart moves that can help you weather a cold. Science hasn't handed us a cure yet, but experts offer lots of advice, old and new, for getting through one and maybe easing the misery:
-- Drink lots of fluid. You've heard this all your life, but here's why: Fluids help loosen congestion and prevent dehydration.
-- Consider zinc. Zinc lozenges, dissolved in the mouth three or four times a day for a few days, may help reduce a cold's duration, says the Johns Hopkins (University) Family Health Book. However, scientists say the benefits aren't proven and use of zinc should be discussed with your doctor, the authors advise.
-- Consider vitamin C. (See related story.)
-- Take a painkiller for aches and fever.
-- Do not give aspirin to a child or teenager who has a cold, flu, chicken pox or other viral illness. This can lead to dangerous Reye's syndrome.
-- Don't seek antibiotics for a cold, since they do not kill viruses. However, if you develop a serious bacterial sinus infection - sometimes encouraged by a cold - it may respond to antibiotics.
-- For a sore throat, try gargling with salt water several times a day.
-- Check out over-the-counter cold medicines. But read the labels. Some cause drowsiness or other side effects. Before using, check with your doctor if you take other medicines or have serious conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes or glaucoma.
-- If you use a decongestant nasal spray, use it for no longer than five days because these can have a "rebound" effect, worsening symptoms.
-- Use a humidifier or take steamy showers to keep nasal passages from becoming dry and to help relieve congestion.
-- Call your doctor if your fever doesn't go down in 48 to 72 hours or if it exceeds 102 degrees; if you develop severe sinus or ear pain; or if you have a cough that produces discolored or bloody phlegm.
-- Try chicken soup. Whether its claimed remedial effects are fact or fiction - opinions vary - it won't hurt and you might find it soothing.