Got a cold? It's safest to ditch the OTC meds
When I feeling the warning signs of a cold (sneezing, congestion, a sore throat) by first instinct is to head to the nearest pharmacy and spend a small fortune on over-the-counter medicines that will help me get a good rest during the night and also help me function well the next day. I usually try to avoid reaching for pills, but when sickness overcomes me, I become a big baby and will do anything to feel better. I suspect if I had kids, this would be my first reaction too, to given them OTC meds to make them feel better right away.But using certain OTC meds isn't the best way to fight a cold, especially for kids, according to this article. What is? Here are some suggestions:
- Fight congestion with a humidifier and nasal drops
- Make sure the patient gets plenty of fluids
- Don't over-wrap a feverish baby -- they won't be able to cool down
- If necessary, give a small amount of acetominophin to babies over 3 months and small amount of Ibuprofen to babies over 6 months to relieve a high fever.
