Adult Cold And Flu Care Delivery or Pickup

Before you take any over-the-counter medication, you should first determine whether you have a cold or the flu, as they require different treatments. Adults who suffer from the common cold rarely have a fever or chills and sweats. A stuffy and runny nose, often with green or yellow discharge, is common with a cold. Adults may also experience body aches, headaches, fatigue, or loss of appetite. Sneezing, coughing, sore throat, and chest congestion are common symptoms for adults with a cold. You may also sometimes experience loss of appetite or nausea.

The flu often looks like the common cold with cough and chest congestion symptoms. But you are more likely to experience a high fever, which indicates that this is more than the common cold. Flu symptoms also include headache, body aches, fatigue, chills and sweats, loss of appetite, and nausea. You might also experience a sore throat, sneezing, and a stuffy or runny nose. Once you've determined whether you have a common cold or the flu, you can begin treating it with over-the-counter adult cold- and flu-care medications designed to alleviate symptoms.

It's important to note that both the common cold and the flu are viral infections; therefore, they can not be cured with antibiotics. If you have a cold or the flu, it won't benefit you to visit a doctor because they won't prescribe anything for viruses. You can, however, ease the discomfort of your symptoms through a variety of over-the-counter adult cold- and flu-care options.

Analgesics are used to treat fever and body aches. These include medications with Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, or Naproxen. Be careful not to take too much Acetaminophen as it can damage your liver, so if you're taking cold medicine and an analgesic, check the ingredients. Antihistamines will help dry out your nose, while decongestants can help relieve a congested nose and chest.

Nasal steroids can be used to help relieve a runny nose or sinus pressure. Expectorants help get the mucus moving by loosening it up. Antitussives can help suppress a cough to bring you some relief. If you have a sore throat, you may want to try throat lozenges or gargle warm salt water. There are also medications explicitly designed to treat cold and flu symptoms that offer a combination of these medications. Read labels to determine which product will work best for your symptoms.