Cold and flu season is coming: What do your symptoms mean?
Almost 20% of Americans contract the flu every year, and adults average two to four colds per year— with so many viruses making the rounds, it’s important to…
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Medicines to have at home
You can buy many medicines for minor problems at the store without a prescription (over-the-counter).
Important tips for using over-the-counter medicines:
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should talk to their provider before taking any new medicine.
Medicines affect children and older adults differently. People in these age groups should take special care when taking over-the-counter medicines.
Check with your provider before taking an over-the-counter medicine if:
ACHES, PAINS, AND HEADACHES
Over-the-counter pain medicines can help with headache, arthritis pain, sprains, and other minor joint and muscle problems.
Both of these medicines can have serious side effects if you take them in high doses or for a long time. Tell your provider if you are taking these medicines many times a week. You may need to be checked for side effects.
FEVER
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) help reduce fever in children and adults.
Aspirin works very well for treating fever in adults. DO NOT give aspirin to a child unless your child's provider tells you it is OK.
COLD, SORE THROAT, COUGH
Cold medicines can treat symptoms to make you feel better, but they do not shorten a cold. Taking zinc supplements within 24 hours of the start of a cold may reduce the symptoms and duration of a cold.
NOTE: Talk to your provider before giving your child any type of over-the-counter cold medicine, even if it is labeled for children.
Cough medicines:
Decongestants:
Sore throat medicines:
ALLERGIES
Antihistamine pills and liquids work well for treating allergy symptoms.
Talk to your provider before giving medicines that cause sleepiness to a child, because they can affect learning. They can also affect alertness in adults.
You can also try:
STOMACH UPSET
Medicines for diarrhea:
Medicines for nausea and vomiting:
SKIN RASHES AND ITCHING
Dinulos JGH. Atopic dermatitis. In: Dinulos JGH, ed. Habif's Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide in Diagnosis and Therapy. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 5.
Garza I, Robertson CE, Smith JH, Whealy MA. Headache and other craniofacial pain. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds. Bradley and Daroff's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2022:chap 102.
Mazer-Amirshahi M, Wilson MD. Drug therapy for the pediatric patient. In: Walls RM, Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill M, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 176.
Semrad CE. Approach to the patient with diarrhea and malabsorption. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 131.
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