Cure for Cold and Flu

My poor little three-year-old is really sick. He was throwing up today-on his birthday! I felt so bad for him. He has had this stomach virus since Monday. My oldest has had a horrible cough for about two weeks. I do not like colds! I never know when to take them to the doctor. I don't think they have infections, but who knows! Of course, we are between insurance companies right now. So it will cost me the same as a week's worth of groceries to take them both to the doctor. Maybe we should just not eat next week...

When it comes to medicine, we typically just do Tylenol and Motrin. I do have some children's Pepto tablets, but I am not sure if those really help.

FROM NBC: Cold and Flu season isn't over yet. And when your nose starts running and your body is aching, you could end up spending a lot of money to get some relief. There's no one tried and true cure for the common cold, but when congestion fills your nose and the coughing won't stop, many agree that desperation can take over. Dr. "I know that when I'm sick, I'll pay almost anything to feel better, so when you walk into the aisle in the pharmacy, you're very vulnerable to temptation just to pick up everything off the shelf."

Dr. Shmuel Shoham - an infectious disease specialist at Washington Hospital Center - says depending on your symptoms, you could be wasting a whole lot of money. Dr. Shmuel Shoham - infectious disease specialist "I think it's better to focus on a single ingredient or on a combination of ingredients that you're really sure you need all those because you don't want to take something that you don't need." for example ... if you have a dry cough, Shoham says look for a medication with dextromethorphan. that will make your cough more productive. For a fever ... acetominaphin or ibprofen. Nasal congestion ... try a product with phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine to dry out your nose.

Dr. Shoham says most common colds will go away on their own. but if you're experiencing fever, shortness of breath, chest pain or if your cold goes away then comes right back -- with a vengeance, you should probably see your physician. but don't rush to get an antibiotic. "If it's a viral infection, then the antibiotic is not going to do anything and anytime you put something in your body, you have the potential of side effects." mos: "If it's not too bad, then I drink orange juice." While there's not much evidence supporting natural remedies like echinacea and zinc, shoham says there is some value to vitamin C. "

As a general rule, Vitamin C may help ward off some viral infections, but once the infection has set in, then it probably doesn't have a role in making thing better." "I act like a big baby basically and I drink a lot of liquids."Liquids are key when you have a cold, especially those with salt. think grandma's chicken soup."

It helps to mobilize the fluids in your body, so that the secretions are flowing out and that things aren't being blocked up." All in all, Sr. Shoham says when buying over the counter medications, read the label and make sure what you're buying will help your symptoms. If you're treating a child, make sure to talk to your doctor first. a lot of these medications react differently in children.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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