Cure for the Common Cold

As there is no medically proven and accepted medication directly targeting the cause of disease, there is no cure for the common cold. Treatment is limited to relieving symptoms, maximizing the comfort of the patient, and limiting complications and harmful sequelae.

• Palliative care

  Plenty of rest, maintain hydration, gargle with warm salt water, use cough drops, throat sprays, and over the counter medicines. Try avoiding alcoholic drinks as it may cause dehydration.

• Antivirals

  There are no approved antiviral drugs for the common cold. ViroPharma and Schering-Plough are developing an antiviral drug, pleconaril, that targets picornaviruses(rhinovirus), the viruses that cause the majority of common colds. Pleconaril has been shown to be effective in an oral form. Schering-Plough is developing an intra-nasal formulation that may have fewer side effects.

• Antihistamines

  2 types: sedating (older generation) and non-sedating (2nd generation). Recent studies shown that the 1st generation of antihistamines are quite effective in reducing sneezing and runny nose of colds while. Sides effects of 1st generation antihistamines may include drowsiness, diificulty in urination of men who have enlargement of the prostate gland and increase the severity if glaucoma patients. 2nd generation antihistamines are not as effective as the 1st generation antihistamines in relieving sneezing and runny nose of colds.

• Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

  Effective in treating inflammation, pain and fever by blocking production of natural inflammatory mediators call "prostaglandins". Usually used to treat cold symptoms such as feverishness, chilliness, muscle ache, and not feeling well in general. Recently, there are interests of using NSAID to treat other symptoms especially cough. Side effects include irritation of the gastrointestinal tract.

• Decongestants

  These drugs opens the nasal passage by shrinking blood vessels in the nose. Two method of taking decongestants: through nose sprays or drops, and by mouth. Decongestants using nose drops or sprays have powerful and rapid action in relieving the nasal obstruction. However, effectiveness lose over time and may burn and irritate throat. Oral decongestant is less powerful and less rapid while may increase heart rate, blood presure and nervous stimulation, but cause less problem with the cycles of recurrent nasal obstruction. When taken in reccomended dosage, oral decongestation are shown to be safe.

• Anticholinergics

  Blocks the action of the parasympathetic nervous system on mucus gland secretion, therefore reducing runny nose. Antichlorinergics have similar activity to 1st generation antihistamines with the exception of not having activity against histamine, there less effective against sneezing. May cause difficulty in urination in men with prostate disease and worsen glaucoma.

• Cough Suppressants

  Being natural narcotics, cough suppressants act on the brain to depress the cough reflex center. Their effectiveness against patients of chronic cough is proven but there is little published information on their effectiveness in cough associated with the common cold. May produce gastrointestinal discomfort. Should be avoided by patients with lung disease.

• Herbal remedies

  Herbal teas, such as chamomile tea, or lemon or ginger root tisanes may soothe some symptoms and comfort the patient. Echinacea, liquorice and garlic preparations have been suggested as treatments for the common cold, although their effectiveness is unproven.

• Chicken soup

  In the twelfth century, Moses Maimonides wrote, "Chicken soup is recommended as an excellent food as well as medication." Since then, there have been numerous reports in the United States that chicken soup alleviates the symptoms of the common cold. Even usually staid medical journals have published tongue-in-cheek humorous articles on the alleged medicinal properties of chicken soup.

References

• CommonCold.org Treatment
• Common Cold-Wikipedia
• Pleconaril-Wikipedia
• Ask Doctor Stoll

_{©Common Cold Squad Last updated on: 24 March 2008}