There’s A Reason Why You Shouldn’t Mix Your Medications Up
A cough or a cold is actually two of the most common human conditions which is why that you can readily obtain medicines to help make you feel better. Medicines for the common cold and cough can actually be acquired over-the-counter, which means that you do not need to get a prescription from your doctor in order to get one.
But, the problem arises when you do not know which one to choose simply because there are a lot of different active ingredients that are used in different products.
So to help you choose the best one for you, I will provide you with the information that you need in order to help you find the right one that will treat your condition.
Always Know the Ingredients
Cough and cold medicines are not created equal. You have to know that a cold or seasonal flu can have a wide variety of symptoms. You could experience a runny nose and sore throat with it and if that is the case, you should not be using any medications that would control coughing. That is due to the fact that cough syrups, for the most part, aims to remove the mucus from your throat and if you’re experiencing sore throat, that could not be a favorable experience.
When choosing the right cough and cold medicine for you, you have to look at their active ingredients. Here are just some of the active ingredients that you can find in most cough and cold medicines:
- Analgesics- the active ingredients that are commonly used in Analgesics include NSAIDs or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, aspirin, acetaminophen, naproxen sodium, and ibuprofen.
- Decongestants- as the name implies, this type of medicine is used to relieve chest and nasal congestion. Active ingredients used in these medicines include Phenylephrine and Pseudoephedrine.
- Expectorants- such medicines are used to help thin the mucus found in the chest area- making them easier to cough up. The most common active ingredient found in expectorants is Guaifenesin.
- Cough Suppressants- should only be used to block cough from normal means as it helps block the cough reflex of our body. An example of this would be dextromethorphan.
- Antihistamines- used as a means to keep allergies at bay (which can also be common in cold and cough symptoms). Some active ingredients of such medicines include diphenhydramine, chlorpheniramine maleate, and doxylamine succinate.
Going a little bit off topic, there is new research being done that makes use of the common cold – as a combatant against brain cancer. This preclinical trial shows that by combining stem cells with the common cold creates a drug that seeks out cancer cells and decimates them. This drug is being formed with the intention of making it a new option for patients as the drug has shown a delay and sometimes even preventing a tumor reccurance. A new form of stem cell treatment, I’d say.
How to Use Them to Treat Colds and Cough?
- Nasal Decongestants- these medicines are mainly used to help clear your nasal passages- allowing you to breathe much more smoothly. They can either come in tablets, capsules, liquids (as in nasal spray)
- Cough Suppressants- Should only be used if you’re experiencing extreme coughing. Robitussin is one of the most famous examples of this.
Note: You should always consult with your physician so that they can give you a more accurate way for you to drink these medicines. The dosages vary from person to person and it takes into account so many things such as medical history, age, other medical conditions, and a host of other things.
