Common cold Health Article

Treatment

Get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. Over-the-counter cold remedies may help ease your symptoms. These won't actually shorten the length of a cold, but can help you feel better.

NOTE: Medical experts have recommended against using cough and cold drugs in children under age 6. Talk to your doctor before your child takes any type of over-the-counter cough medicine, even if it is labeled for children. These medicines likely will not work for children, and they may have serious side effects.

Antibiotics should not be used to treat a common cold. They will not help and may make the situation worse. Thick yellow or green nasal discharge is not a reason for antibiotics, unless it doesn't get better within 10 to 14 days. (In this case, it may be a sinus infection called sinusitis.)

New antiviral drugs can make runny noses completely clear up a day sooner than usual (and begin to ease the symptoms within a day). It is unclear whether the benefits of these drugs outweigh the risks.

Chicken soup has been used for treating common colds at least since the 12th century. It may really help. The heat, fluid, and salt may help you fight the infection.

Alternative treatments that have also been used include:

• Echinacea
• Vitamin C
• Zinc

Expectations (prognosis)

The symptoms usually go away in 7 to 10 days.

Complications

• Bronchitis
• Ear infection
• Pneumonia
• Sinusitis
• Worsening of asthma

Calling your health care provider

Try home care measures first. Call your health care provider if:

• Breathing difficulty develops
• Symptoms worsen or do not improve after 7 to 10 days

Prevention

It might seem overwhelming to try to prevent colds, but you can do it. Children average three to eight colds per year.

Here are five proven ways to reduce exposure to germs:

• Always wash your hands: Children and adults should wash hands at key moments -- after nose-wiping, after diapering or toileting, before eating, and before preparing food.
• Disinfect: Clean commonly touched surfaces (sink handles, sleeping mats) with an EPA-approved disinfectant.
• Switch day care: Using a day care where there are six or fewer children dramatically reduces germ contact.
• Use instant hand sanitizers: A little dab will kill 99.99% of germs without any water or towels. The products use alcohol to destroy germs. They are an antiseptic, not an antibiotic, so resistance can't develop.
• Use paper towels instead of shared cloth towels.

Here are six ways to support the immune system:

• Avoid secondhand smoke: Keep as far away from secondhand smoke as possible It is responsible for many health problems, including millions of colds.
• Avoid unnecessary antibiotics: The more people use antibiotics, the more likely they are to get sick with longer, more stubborn infections caused by more resistant organisms in the future.
• Breastfeed: Breast milk is known to protect against respiratory tract infections, even years after breastfeeding is done. Kids who don't breastfeed average five times more ear infections.
• Drink water: Your body needs fluids for the immune system to function properly.
• Eat yogurt: The beneficial bacteria in some active yogurt cultures help prevent colds.
• Get enough sleep: Late bedtimes and poor sleep leave people vulnerable.