The risk of catching an acute respiratory disease haunts people at any time of the year, even in hot summer. But especially often colds annoy us in the winter months, as well as in the off-season. What cold medicines can help get rid of it most quickly and effectively? Our review is devoted to the answer to this question.
Antipyretic and anti-inflammatory drugs
When we have a severe cold, then, as a rule, we have a fever, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough - unpleasant symptoms, to be sure. What cold medicines will help to quickly alleviate the condition, lower the temperature, relieve swelling in the nasopharynx, slow down or even stop the development of inflammatory processes in the body? There are three proven, reliable and universal medicines:
- "Aspirin";
- "Ibuprofen";
- "Paracetamol".
All listed cold pills are widely used intherapy directed against acute respiratory infections, but today it is believed that Paracetamol is the safest. It is available not only in tablets, but also in the form of rectal suppositories, syrups and drops (for young children). Analogues are the drugs "Panadol", "Efferalgan", "Kalpol", "Flyutabs" and other drugs. Paracetamol is the basis of many modern drugs for flu and colds:
- "Fervex";
- "Solpadein";
- "Caffetin";
- "Coldrex";
- "Theraflu";
- "Rinza";
- "Maxicold";
- "Parkocet";
- "Sedalgin";
- "Grippeks", etc.
The question may arise: "If all these drugs for the treatment of colds have paracetamol in common, how do they differ from each other?" The fact is that all of the listed drugs include various additional components that help the body cope with the disease faster. For example, in addition to paracetamol, the notorious Fervex also includes substances such as ascorbic acid and pheniramine; Solpadeine contains small doses of codeine and caffeine, etc.
What can be dangerous paracetamol
This drug is well tolerated by most patients with relatively few contraindications. In favor of paracetamol is the fact that this medicine is approved for use even by infants (in drops and syrups). However, evenThe safest cold medicines can have certain side effects on the body. And the drug "Paracetamol" is no exception.
Medical studies have been written extensively in the press, claiming that this drug, taken in childhood, can further provoke the development of asthma in adolescents, and also contributes to the development of eczema and allergic rhinitis. Therefore, cold medicines for children should not be used without good reason and without first consulting a doctor.
Paracetamol adversely affects the liver (however, like many other drugs), so patients with severe diseases of this organ should take this drug with great caution.
Rhinitis medications
Which remedy for colds and flu can effectively deal with nasal congestion with a runny nose? Such a medicine should be sought among the so-called decongestants - drugs that have the ability to constrict blood vessels, as a result of which they can relieve swelling of the nasopharynx, and a sick person gets the opportunity to breathe relatively freely.
These drugs are available as tablets, drops, ointments and sprays. The most popular today are sprays, drops and emulsions. All vasoconstrictor drugs can be divided into three groups: short-acting, medium and long-term.
Short-acting cold medicines include:
- "Sanorin";
- "Tizin";
- "Naphthyzinum"
The advantage of these drops is their fast action and inexpensive price, and the disadvantage is that they "work" for only a few hours, and sometimes even less. Meanwhile, it is allowed to bury them in the nose no more than 4 times a day.
Intermediate-acting drugs:
- "Rinostop";
- "Xymelin";
- "Galazolin";
- "Xylene";
- "Otrivin".
The composition of the listed drops and sprays includes the substance xylometazoline. It is thanks to him that in these drugs the duration of action (up to 10 hours) is successfully combined with high efficiency. Disadvantage: these drugs should not be instilled into the nose of children under two years of age, and their use should not last more than 7 days.
Long-acting cold medicines for runny nose:
- "Nazol";
- "Nazivin".
It is permissible to use these funds only twice a day and no more than 3 days in a row. They are able to provide free breathing for a long time. The disadvantages include the fact that prolonged vasospasm acts destructively on the nasal mucosa. Contraindications for use are the age of a child under 1 year old, pregnancy, as well as diabetes and kidney disease.
If your throat hurts
Let's continue to study the question of how to fight against the flu and colds. The drugs that are used for this cannot be limited to onlyonly pills for temperature and drops for the nose. If the throat hurts, and this happens with acute respiratory infections in most cases, then effective medicines for it are also needed.
Today, various absorbable lozenges and pills that can have a local anti-inflammatory effect, as well as aerosols, are very popular:
- "Ingalipt";
- "Ambassador";
- "Kameton";
- "Pharingosept";
- "Aqualor throat";
- "Jox";
- "Laripront";
- "Strepsils";
- "Gexoral";
- "Theraflu LAR";
- "Septolete Neo";
- "Septolete plus";
- "Anti-Angin";
- "Ajicept";
- "Sebidine";
- "Stopangin" and others.
The big plus of these drugs is that they are indicated for topical use, their penetration into the body is negligible, they practically do not enter the bloodstream. Meanwhile, these drugs have a strong effect against viruses and microbes that actively multiply in the mouth during a cold and cause inflammation and sore throat.
However, you need to understand that with severe sore throat, such medicines will not be able to completely cope with the disease. The attending physician usually also prescribes effective pills for flu and colds, sometimes it can even be antibiotics. You can also read about them in our article.
What will helpfor cough
Runny nose, sore throat, fever - these are far from all the symptoms of acute respiratory infections. If a person coughs heavily with a cold, what to drink then? It will be better if the doctor prescribes the medicine based on the diagnosis, because cough can be caused by various reasons (bronchitis, laryngitis, pneumonia, tracheitis, etc.). In addition, the cough can be dry or wet, with phlegm.
To get rid of a dry, painful cough, remedies such as:
- "Codelac";
- "Stoptussin";
- "Terpincode";
- "Tussin plus";
- "Sinecode";
- "Neo-codion";
- "Cofanol";
- "Insty";
- "Glycodin";
- "Butamirat";
- "Bronchicum";
- "Falimint";
- "Hexapneumin" and other drugs.
Expectorants for wet cough:
- "Bromhexine";
- "Lazolvan";
- "ACC";
- "Muk altin";
- "Tussin";
- "Glyceram";
- "Ambrobene" and others
Antibiotics
Sometimes the disease is so severe that the doctor decides to prescribe the patient the most powerful drugs that are available in the arsenal of modern pharmacology. What antibiotics for a cold should be taken by a patient - only a qualified doctor can decide. The fact is that different bacterial drugsaffect different types of bacteria. Here is a list of modern antibiotics that are most often used in the treatment of acute respiratory infections, bronchitis, pneumonia, tracheitis, etc.:
1. Penicillin group:
- "Amoxicillin";
- "Amoxiclav";
- "Augmentin" and others.
These drugs are effective against bacteria that cause inflammation of the upper respiratory tract.
2. Cephalosporin group:
- "Zincef";
- "Zinnat";
- "Supraks".
Drugs of this group help with bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy.
3. Macrolide group:
- "Summamed";
- "Hemomycin".
This is one of the most powerful antibiotics of the last generation. They are able to quickly cope even with SARS.
Antivirals
People often equate the flu with the common cold. This is because the symptoms are very similar. With the flu, the throat also hurts, the nose does not breathe, the head hurts, the body temperature rises, etc. That is why, self-medicating, unfortunate patients try to fight the flu by taking conventional cold medicines, including antibiotics, which can do much harm to themselves.
Meanwhile, you need to know that the nature of the flu is not bacterial, as with ordinary acute respiratory infections, but viral. This means that antiviral drugs are required here to fight the disease. Most often used incomplex therapy in the treatment of influenza the following medications:
- "Amixin";
- "Kagocel";
- "Arbidol";
- "Relenza";
- "Grippferon";
- "Rimantadine";
- "Midantan";
- "Ribamidil";
- "Interferon".
Immune boosting drugs
When we are already ill, then flu and cold pills, of course, will help to quickly overcome the disease and get better, but there are medicines that can be used to strengthen immunity and avoid infection even at the peak of the acute respiratory disease epidemic.
Very popular and safe are plant-based immunomodulators:
- "Immunal";
- "Echinacea tincture";
- Echinacea extract "Doctor Theiss";
- "Ginseng tincture";
- "Eleutherococcus extract";
- "Schisandra tincture".
You can also increase the body's resistance to colds with the help of drugs that contain enzymes of various pathogens (streptococcus, staphylococcus, pneumococcus, etc.) in microscopic doses. The pharmacy chain sells the following drugs for the prevention of colds from this group:
- "Likopid";
- "Ribomunil";
- "Broncho-munal";
- "Imudon";
- "IRS-19".
Vitamins
When you have a cold what else to drink? Usually, the doctor must prescribe vitamins to his patients who have caught acute respiratory infections. In no case should this recommendation be neglected, because such drugs effectively strengthen the body of a sick person, stimulate the immune system, help damaged cells regenerate, etc. Here is a list of vitamins that we need to successfully fight a cold:
1. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, or ascorbic acid). This is the most powerful helper for acute respiratory infections. It is able to actively inhibit the reproduction of viruses and bacteria. When sick, it is recommended to take 1000-1500 mg of vitamin C per day;
2. Thiamine (B1). It promotes the regeneration of damaged epithelial cells of the upper respiratory tract.
3. Riboflavin - vitamin B2. Needed by the body to synthesize antibodies.
4. Pyridoxine - vitamin B6. Participates in the regenerative processes of nerve endings in case of damage to the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract.
5. Nicotinic acid - vitamin PP. Thanks to him, blood circulation improves, blood vessels are restored.
6. Retinol is vitamin A. This is a very necessary element for the successful regeneration of epithelial cells.
7. Tocopherol is vitamin E. It has powerful antioxidant properties; able to stimulate the immune system.
Of course, vitamins enter our body with food, but this is not enough, especially in winter and spring. In the pharmacy you can buy universal multivitamin complexes, for example:
- "Complivit";
- "Multivit";
- "Polyvit";
- "Undevit";
- "Panheksavit";
- "Oligovit";
- "Nutrisan";
- "Macrovit";
- "Hexavit" and many others.
There are multivitamin preparations, the effect of which is enhanced by beneficial minerals. It can be difficult to figure out the abundance of vitamin products on your own, so it’s better to rely on the choice of a doctor.
Medicines for children
Cold medicines for children should be prescribed by a pediatrician. After all, individual drugs from an adult home first aid kit can be harmful to children. But having some proven medicines on hand in a family with a baby is also a must.
Antipyretics for children:
- "Panadol" for children in candles or in suspension.
- Analogues of Panadol: Cefekon, Kalpol, Efferalgan.
Cough medicines:
- Tussin syrup.
- Solution or syrup "Lazolvan".
- "Sinekod" in drops or syrup (for dry cough).
For ears, throat and nose:
- "Nazol kids" and "Nazol baby" (spray and drops) - from the common cold.
- "Otipax" - antibiotic-free ear drops.
- "Aqua-Maris" - a weak solution of sea s alt in the form of a spray. Well moisturizes and cleanses the mucous membrane of the throat and nose from bacteria. Analogues: "Salfin" and"Valley".
The transferred funds are enough to last until the doctor arrives.
Folk remedies
Good cold pills are definitely great! But some people, for various reasons, prefer to heal exclusively with natural remedies. Well, traditional medicine can offer many excellent recipes and recommendations. Here are some of the most versatile and effective:
1. Raspberry tea is a remedy for colds and flu, which has been used by mankind since ancient times. Raspberries in dried form or in the form of jam will help to quickly lower the temperature, they have antipyretic properties, because they contain natural salicylic acid. In addition, raspberries contain large amounts of vitamin C.
2. Honey is added to the garlic pulp (proportion 1: 1), the drug is thoroughly mixed and given to the patient twice a day, one to two teaspoons. Garlic is also recommended for inhalation. To do this, several of its cloves are crushed, filled with water (1 tbsp.) And boiled for 10 minutes. Then this "shock" medicine can be placed in front of the patient so that he breathes over him.
3. Another remedy (and very effective) for colds is regular milk. Perhaps you do not know that it contains enzymes that enhance immunity, and there is also the substance tryptophan, which contributes to the production of serotonin in the body - a strong sedative. In a liter of milk you need to add a few tablespoons of honey,nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, bay leaf and a couple of peas of allspice. Bring the milk potion to a boil and leave for 5 minutes before drinking.
4. If the patient is tormented by a cough, you can try using such a proven remedy as black radish juice mixed with honey. The drug is prepared as follows: the top is cut off from the washed root crop, part of the pulp is scraped out of the middle, so that an empty cavity forms. Honey (2 tsp) is placed in the hole, and the radish is closed with a cut top, like a lid. Wait 12 hours - during this time, juice will stand out, which, when combined with honey, will turn into an antitussive medicine. It is recommended to take the remedy as follows: for adults - 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day, for children - 1 tsp. three times a day.
Prevention
We are used to having to fight against the flu and colds from time to time. Drugs are available in pharmacies in abundance, so most people meet the disease with the confidence that it will not be difficult to cure. But prevention is a great and necessary thing. Therefore, now we will recall what preventive measures help to happily miss a serious illness:
1. Flu shot. Every year doctors warn the population about the need for timely vaccination, but many of us simply ignore this, and in vain.
2. In the cold season, when there is little sun outside, and there are not enough fresh fruits and vegetables on the table, you can and should feed yourself with synthetic vitamin complexes.and don't forget about lemon, cranberry, rosehip decoction - all this will save the body from vitamin C deficiency.
3. Oxolinic ointment, carefully applied to the nasal mucosa before going outside, is a strong shield that can repel attacks of bacteria and viruses.
4. Personal hygiene must be top notch. That is, the motto "wash your hands more often with soap" is more relevant than ever!
5. The room you are in needs to be ventilated and carry out mandatory wet cleaning, because microbes feel incredibly comfortable in dry, dusty air.
6. During an epidemic of influenza and acute respiratory infections, it is not recommended to walk around crowded shopping centers, cinemas, cafes and other places where a lot of people gather. But walks (especially skiing) in the fresh air in a country park or forest perfectly strengthen the body.
Conclusion
After reading the information about what drugs to take for a cold, you can meet an acute respiratory disease or flu fully armed. But it is better, of course, never to catch a cold and not get sick! Take care of yourself, we wish you good heroic he alth!
