Read up on Common cold treatment options at Consumer Reports Health.

Common cold

Key points about treatments

There's no cure for the common cold. But there are lots of treatments you can try to help your symptoms while your body fights off the virus. You can buy these in a pharmacy. However, there's not much evidence that these cold remedies really work.

Key points about treating the common cold

There's no cure for a cold. Your symptoms will probably go away after a few days.
You can take painkillers to help you feel better while your body fights off the illness.
You can buy lots of different cold remedies from a pharmacy. They aim to clear your blocked nose or stop you from coughing. But we're not certain how much they help.
Some people take vitamins (such as vitamin C) or minerals (such as zinc) to try to treat a cold. Vitamin C is unlikely to help you. But there hasn't been enough research to know whether zinc works.
Some people find that breathing in (inhaling) water vapor from a bowl of hot water helps clear their blocked nose.
Doctors don't recommend

antibiotics
These medications are used to help your immune system fight infection. There are a number of different types of antibiotics that work in different ways to get rid of bacteria, parasites and other infectious agents. Antibiotics do not work against viruses.

antibiotics for a cold. Antibiotics don't work for

viruses
Viruses are microbes (tiny organisms) that need the cells of humans or other animals to exist. They use the machinery of cells to reproduce. Then they spread to other cells in the body.

viruses and they have side effects.
Many cough and cold remedies aren’t recommended for children under the age of 4. To find out more, read Treating coughs and colds in children.

This information was last updated on Apr 09, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
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