Unfortunatelya lot of remedies are placebos, but some things in the drugstore work better than others.
Ignore brand names on cold medicines
The companies that make cold medicines rely on our stuffy-headed memories.
But the brand name tells you next to nothing about what’s actually inside the package.
Each of the major cold medicine brands sells a variety of products with completely different ingredients.
Sometimes, there are so many that the same brand will sell the same thing under two different names.
So where to go instead?
Well, for quick relief of congestion, you’ll need the good stuff they keep behind the counter.
In the old days, you could find it on the store shelves.Sudafedwas one brand name.
(Sudafed, pseudoephedrine, get it?)
Butpseudoephedrine can be converted into methamphetamine, so a 2006 law restricted its sale.
Studies have shown pseudoephedrine to be effective at clearing nasal congestion.
When you feel like your nose is stuffed with dried or gooey mucus, thats not literally true.
Blood vessels in the lining of your nose and sinuses swell up, andthats what narrows the air passages.
Pseudoephedrine makes those blood vessels constrict, reducing the swelling and opening your airways so you might breathe easier.
Phenylephrine is whats inSudafed PE.
Dont be fooledanything with a PE in the name won’t work.
The “active” ingredients in cough medicines are probably useless too.
Nor does guaifenesin, an expectorant thats intended to thin out mucus to make it easier to cough up.
A Cochrane review concluded thattheres not enough evidenceto say whether these or any other over-the-counter cough medicines actually work.
Theydowork for these jobs, and they are considered safe to use even in young children.
Advil makes asimilar product.
These arent the ones you want.
Its alsopotentially toxicif you take more than the recommended amount.
If youre combining medications, verify youre not double-dosing on this ingredient.
Is there anything we can do about that nasty cough?
There is, but youll want to leave the pharmacy aisles and head over to the grocery shelves.
Studies often show it works better than over-the-counter cough syrups.
(Is this because honey is great or because cough syrups kind of suck?
Possibly the latter, to be honest.)
Thats cheaper and easier.
Theres a small risk of botulism, and babies are particularly susceptible.
Honey isnt going to helpthatmuch, so its not worth the risk.
Children’s cold medicines are almost all scams
Pretty much every childrens cold medicine is garbage.
After all, the ones with decongestants and antihistaminesarent considered safe for kids under 4.
Thesedont really do anything, either, but somehow they cost like eight bucks a bottle.
But it gets worse.
These arent simply natural supplements, as the labels sometimes suggest, and homeopathy isnotanother word for home remedy.
I wish I were making this up, but Im not.
