It generally starts with a sneeze, a cough, a headache, nasal
stuffiness, or a scratchy throat. For
many the seasonal changes bring forward allergic reactions and increased opportunities
for germs to spread resulting in common colds and influenza.
The most common course of action people take is to go to a
store and purchase a “remedy” in the form of an over-the-counter (OTC) medication. The Consumer Healthcare Products Association
estimates that $4.2 billion were spent on OTC cold / cough drugs in the U.S. in
2011.
The choices are plenty:
·
Analgesics for headaches, aches and pains
·
Antipyretics for fevers
·
Antitussive for nonproductive (dry) coughs
·
Expectorants for productive (mucus) coughs
·
Antihistamines for runny nose, itchy eyes
·
Decongestant for stuff nose / congestion
·
Anesthetic – Analgesics for sore throat
And then there are the concoctions that are designed to provide
relief for people experiencing multiple symptoms of their self-diagnosed
condition. It should be noted that when people
feel miserable that they tend to purchase these meds without concern about how
they might interact with some prescribed medication they may be taking. For example, individuals with high blood
pressure, cardiac conditions, and diabetes are advised not take antihistamines
without consulting their doctor first.
Yet, most people don’t because they prefer immediate peaceful
tranquility to pain and suffering regardless of the potential side effects.
Knowing which cough medicine to take is kind of
important. Antitussive meds keep the
cough at bay. You want this for a dry
cough. Expectorants encourage coughing
that breaks up mucus and works to keep it from collecting in your lower
respiratory tract. If mucus continues to
collect significantly, then pneumonia could possibly set in.
There are also differences in decongestants. I have learned that nasal decongestants have
an effective shelf life of 3 – 5 days, and after that comes a rebound effect which
creates even more stuffiness. The
alternative oral decongestant does not have such an effect, however, it does
not provide results as quickly as its nasal alternative. One of the most common oral brands is Sudafed,
which now has restrictions around its purchase because of the Pseudoephedrine ingredient that
is also used in the illicit manufacturing of amphetamines.
There are impatient Type A souls like me who want and need
to feel well to get on with what needs to be done ASAP. So, if I don’t start feeling better after 3
days, then I move on to a different brand of medication to see if it does
better or I move on to a multi-symptom wonder drug. For most of us, viral sinus infections move out
of our system within 14 days. If it
goes beyond that, then there may be a secondary bacterial infection looming
about.
If one seeks out antihistamines, one discovers many choices.
A couple options with their primary
ingredient bases include: Dimetapp (Brompheniramine),
and NyQuil (Doxylamine).
Of course, there are the OTC “allergy”
relief drugs (antihistamines) that are available. The non-drowsy versions include Allegra
(Fexofenadine), Claritin (Loratadine) and Zyrtec (Cetirizine). The ones that make one drowsy are: Benadryl (Diphenhydramine), Chlor-Trimetron
(Chlorpheniramine), and Tavist (Clemastine).
How does the average consumer know which is the best for
them? Trial and error, I suppose.
After a week or more taking OTC meds and enduring discomfort
with no end in sight, people take on a more aggressive approach and go to a
doctor. Past
experience with this problem suggests the need for a prescription of the Holy
Grail of medications – Antibiotics. You go in, and in a minute or two of
face-to-face time with the doctor or nurse practitioner, you typically receive
an acute rhinosinusitis or upper respiratory infection diagnosis with “take one
daily for 10 days, drink a lot of fluids, get some rest and come back if you
are not well or things get worse.” $Cha-ching$. “Next, patient please.” Scientific studies have consistently shown this
scenario is played out with more than 80% of people diagnosed with this
condition.
Next you are off to the drug store. You contribute to the $5.8 billion Americans
spend to treat this diagnosis as you purchase your Antibiotics and maybe a
nasal steroid spray. You now believe you
are on your way to wellness because you got a real diagnosis from a medical person. A few days later you begin to feel better, so
much in fact that you cease taking the Antibiotics since you think you are “cured”
of your ailment, with the thought of maybe hanging on to what is left to be
used during the next episode.
The truth be told, over 90% of all sinus infections are viral based, which means antibiotics aren’t effective. The reason they are tend to be prescribed is “just in case” the condition is bacterial based. There is a price to be paid for our casual use of antibiotics. I will speak to that in a follow-up blog.
