Cold remedies & you. Review on Tips on Buying Medicines

AACHOOOO!.Gawd! Not another cold!

But before you reach out for the nearest over-the-counter cold remedy, stop!.& think! Have you ever wondered whats the mystery behind these yellow\white pills that you diligently swallow at the slightest hint of a running nose? No?.then its time you got a brief idea about them!

The chief culprit in most cases of cold is'histamine'.a substance produced by the body in response to a variety of stimuli.This substance is responsible for the watery eyes, running nose, sneezing & redness of the face associated with cold. The cold remedies available in the market belong to a group of drugs called 'anti-histaminics' .ie they act by simply blocking the effects of histamine at specific sites.

These specific antihistaminics are further arbitrarily classified depending upon their sedative(sleep inducing) properties as:

-Potent & highly sedative: eg diphenhydramine, promethazine

-Potent & less sedative:   eg chlorpheniramine

-Less potent & less sedative: eg pheniramine

-Non-sedative              : eg terfenadine, astemizole, cetrizine

With that background, maybe its worthwhile now to highlight specific points of interest regarding these drugs.

1) ACTION OF THESE DRUGS:

These drugs help by treating the features of cold irrespective of the cause.( eg allergy, pollution, stress, viral infection.etc)They are mostly effective in colds due to allergy. In other cases, they primarily help by reducing the symptoms ie running nose.etc without treating the cause. So, for eg, if your cold is due to an underlying problem like sinusitis, you may not be entirely relieved of your cold.

2) SIDE-EFFECTS

As is evident, sedation is the commonest side-effect noted.which ranges from a mild light headedness &drowsiness to a more severe disorientation. So, its better to avoid these medications(especially the'highly sedative' category ones) while driving or operating machineries etc.

Dryness of the mouth, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, mild dizziness are the other side effects seen.these are not necessarily serious.

However, other effects(uncommon, fortunately!) include cardiac arrythmias, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, hypersensitivity  etc may also occur.hence it is advisable to take these medications, if necessary, under medical advice only, if you suffer from:

-cardiac problems

-liver\kidney disorders

-epilepsy

-peptic ulcer disease etc

3) PAIN-KILLERS

Most of these cold remedies contain additional analgesics like paracetamol\acetaminophen  so check the ingredients carefully on the labels & refrain from taking any additional pain-killers.you might end up with an overdose of painkillers!

4) DRUG DOSAGE SCHEDULES

Read the drug schedules carefully.the schedules may vary from once a day to 4 times a day.make sure you are neither overtreating nor under-treating yourself.

5) COMPATIBILITY WITH OTHER MEDICATIONS

Cold remedies may react unfavorably with other medications taken concurrently, so if you are already on regular prescription with any daily drugs, make sure you check out with your doctor regarding the safety of taking these cold remedies with the other drugs.

To summarise, cold remedies certainly go a long way in bringing about a sense of comfort from the irritaing effects of a common cold, but as is the case with any drug, are not without side-effects. So, make sure you are aware of them before you reach out for the nearest medication available!.Afterall.a little knowledge goes a long way.!