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What Are the Treatments for the Common Cold?

The common cold has been around since before the Egyptians created hieroglyphs to describe it and we have still not found a way to eradicate it from our lives. Since it refuses to go away, we have no choice but to learn how to treat the symptoms. Fortunately, with all of this time to work on it, we've become pretty adept at managing those symptoms while waiting for the illness run its course.

  1. Prescription Medications

    • The varying symptoms of the common cold include coughing, nasal congestion and bronchial congestion. Prescription medications, such as the codeine or diphenhydramine hydrochloride, help to suppress coughs. Nasal decongestants, include phenylephrine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrines, help to dry runny noses.

    Prescribing Antibiotics for the Common Cold

    • The rhinoviruses that commonly cause the common cold are only capable of surviving for seven to 10 days and most of the symptoms include mild to moderate sneezing, congestion, scratchy throat, coughing and other irritating, but not dangerous, symptoms. The use of antibiotics for the common cold is mostly considered to be useless and the overuse of antibiotics can be considered dangerous. Antibiotics are designed to kill bacterial infections and the common cold has been determined to be a viral infection, so their use for treating a cold is superfluous.

    Herbal and Home Remedies for the Common Cold

    • Many home remedies can help relieve the symptoms of a cold, such as taking large amounts of vitamin C to boost the immune system and help the body fight the symptoms naturally. Being sure to hydrate properly by drinking plenty of juices will aid in getting the vitamin C that is needed while hydrating the body to keep the nose and throat moisturized, which helps to flush out the congestion that is building up. Eating hot soup, such as chicken soup, helps to keep the nasal passages open by utilizing the heat and the steam from the soup. If symptoms are moderate to severe, the use of over-the-counter medications for the relief of the particular symptoms that you are feeling is encouraged.

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