Cold Sore Treatment - Are Over-The-Counter Medications Any Good?

When you are struggling with the pain and itch from your cold sores, any kind of cold sore treatment that can offer relief to you would be a blessing to you.

The cold sore medications available over the counter (OTC) are broadly categorized into 3 main groups, each for one function. One group provides pain and itch relief, and are best applied during the tingling stage of cold sores. The other groups either slows down/prevent the cold sore lesion from aggravating, or directly stop the herpes simplex 1 virus at its track and therefore promotes healing. Some of the OTC medications contain treatment agents that have one or more of the properties mentioned. When applying all these medications, you need to remember that the results will vary from individual to individual depending on the severity of your cold sores.

Here are a few more common medications for cold sores:

1) Anbesol Cold Sore Therapy Ointment with Vitamin E & Aloe

Provides pain relief.

2) Abreva

This cold sore medicine is approved by the FDA. It is reported to aid in healing.

3) Cold Sore Rescue

Natural gel that contains agents which possess anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties. Promotes faster healing.

4) Zilactin Cold Sore Gel

Pain relief medicine. Provides a protective layer on sore area and reduce irritation caused by eating.

5) LipClear Lysine Cold Stick

Moisturizing properties help to heal skin cracking commonly associated with cold sores. Protection from sun which is a common trigger for cold sore outbreaks.

While these medications do offer some kind of reprieve for your cold sore pains and itches, they are not instant cures or magical healing portions. Though they have been reported to aid in healing, the effect it has in speeding up the recovery of the cold sores can be dismal. However, they can make the 7 - 10 days of suffering a lot easier.

I would like to offer a piece of good old advice if you intend to use these medications. Cold sores are contagious, so make sure that you wash your hands thoroughly after application least you spread it to other parts of your body, or to others. You may think this is a no-brainer but did you know that there are repeated cases of cold sores just because of this little habit everyone forgets?

Finally, to answer my question, OTC medications can be good for pain relief, but for a complete cold sore treatment solution, the way to go is using natural remedies. Find out more at my blog.

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Tamiflu - How Does Tamiflu Compare To Other Anti Flu Medications?

There are hardly any medicines that are available for treating flu. Among these Tamiflu is the only medication that is good in treating flu. Here I will be covering some of the symptoms of the flu. So this will tell you when you should take Tamiflu and what other medications are available for the flu.

Flu Symptoms

The symptoms for the flu are a sore throat. This is the beginning of the chapter called the flu. This may be either the common flu or the on set of the bird flu. But the sore throat will worsen to a condition where by you will know this is not just a sore throat but something worse than that. It is cobbled in the second chapter by high fever ranging to temperatures above a hundred degree Fahrenheit. And along with this as a sub section to the second chapter of the flu you will be having muscular pains, weakness, loss of appetite and a pain in the chest.

Introduction of Flu shot

This was how it was when the Spanish Influenza struck in the 1918's. It took with it a number of people. The estimated loss of life was about 20 million all over the world. The flu shot was introduced. This is a vaccine against the common flu. People lost their lives not just due to the flu. The flu developed in to the pneumonia and this became a bacterial infection. It caused havoc and the result was that what we faced in the 1918's. But a vaccine when the flu is on you will not be much of an effect. It had to be taken well before you are affected by the flu. The tablets available around that time were Amantadine and Rimantdine. Both these drugs had to be consumed as tablets. These drugs acted like this. They could stop the flu virus from duplicating itself after it had been inside the human cells. They could not mutate and form a group with which they could attack the body. But there were limitations for the drugs Amantadine and Rimantdine. They were effective against only Type 'A' influenza causing viruses. They were ineffective against the type "B" influenza virus. For this an alternative medicine was to be conjured.

New drugs: Tamiflu and Relenza

It was at the turn of this century that new drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza were formulated. They were effective against both the type "A" and the type "B" influenza causing viruses. They belonged to a separate class of medicines called the neuraminidase inhibitors. Tamiflu contained the drug Oseltamivir and Relenza was made of Zanamivir. Both these drugs worked in a similar way. They too could stop the particles of the virus from being released in to the human cells. This limited the spread of the infection.

The medicine Tamiflu is taken as a pill. It comes in the form of a capsule, a yellow grey capsule with seventy five milligram of the drug encompassed in it. There is another form also in which Tamiflu s supplied, it is the suspension form. This suspension form is for children. They are given the medication as per their weight. For a child weighing less than 33 pounds he / she are given thirty milligrams of the medication. All weight categories the medication is given in proper proportions.

Relenza is a drug that required an inhaler to take the drug. This drug is directly inhaled into the lungs. This drug was approved by the FDA at around the same time Tamiflu was approved. However, people who suffered from asthma and other respiratory related diseases faced fatalities after inhaling this drug. Experts in the field have weighed the options against the risk involved when taking this inhalation prescription drug. They have justified the risk involved against the risk of infection.

Tamiflu has been considered too expensive against the older drugs.

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Colds and flu medications are OK while breastfeeding?

A very common question in the cold and flu season.

If you are sick, many people head for the island of medication to the pharmacy for relief. But if you need to breastfeed, taking into account the possible effects of all drugs on you, your production of milk and the baby.

Most colds and flu medications contain antihistamines and decongestants. Antihistamines are drugs to correct a nose is runny. Decongestants are drugs that treat sinus or nasalCongestion. Unfortunately for those suffering from colds and flu, none of these drugs are recommended during lactation. Why you ask? Since both have been known to adversely affect milk production. Her runny nose may dry out, but your milk.

What can we do? Over the counter pain relievers: acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain. Zinc supplements to reduce the duration of the virus. Guaifenesin (cough) is safe to use during breastfeeding. Use if theCough is not allowing you to sleep. Saline or Afrin nasal spray for nasal congestion. Humidifier in the room. Drink plenty of fluids. Eating a healthy diet.

Some things to consider about the symptoms of colds and flu. The fever is the body's ability to activate the immune system. Fever of 104 degrees are not dangerous, they are beneficial, helping to fight the infection. A runny nose is the body's way of cleansing the sinuses of germs viruses. A production / wet cough should notstopped using drugs. If you stop the cough, the mucus stuck in the lungs and may develop a bacterial infection. The common cold virus causes fever for 2-3 days, nasal discharge and cough for 7-14 days 2-3 weeks.

And the flu vaccine, Tamiflu and breastfeeding? Both are considered safe during lactation.

Is there anything you do to avoid getting sick?

1 Get plenty of rest.
2 Wash your hands frequently, avoid touchingYour face with dirty hands.
3 Blow your nose often. (This is often where the first virus to enter)
4 Gargling with salt water and wash the nasal passages with salt water. (If you pose an irrigation system, nasal passages recycling)
5 Eat a healthy diet, choose foods rich in vitamin C and zinc, are the natural immune system booster.
6 Drink warm liquids to wash the seeds directly into the gastrointestinal tract, where they can not stand a chance!

In summary,Prevention saves a lot of discomfort with a cold or flu. But if you develop a cold or the flu, remember to check all the counter medications with a lactation consultant or doctor. Many mothers take over the counter medication during breastfeeding safe. This is not the case. It is advisable to check with your pediatrician or lactation consultant before taking medications.

Liz Pevytoe, RN, IBCLC, a lactation consultant Board Certified. You can sendQuestions of drugs for them using the link below.

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Over the counter medications - they are safe?

more and more strains of flu and colds going around with more and more children are coming down with these colds and flu. We all want our children to improve as quickly as possible. Most of us run to the pharmacy and buy a medicine for coughs and colds remedies, symptoms, deal with the. What most people do not realize is that these common drugs, often abused, and our children more harm than good.

Not only do these drugstoxic and harmful, there is no conclusive evidence they are effective. Over the past 50 years, there were only 11 studies on the effects of these drugs on children. But none of these studies show that over the counter medications to help coughs and colds at all.

In addition, there are many cases where children had become sick and even died using these drugs. These recent cases prompted the FDA to pull children doses of these drugsthe shelves. The FDA has recommended that children under six should not use over the counter drugs for cough and cold remedies. There are signs that young people can be accommodated. While this is a start to solve this serious problem that is not enough. There is also evidence that effective drugs on the counter for adults.

The best way to treat a cold is to let nature take its course. Most colds go away and, within seven days without the use ofany medication. The most effective treatment for colds is plenty of hot drinks and plenty of rest. There are several whole food supplements that we recommend are safe and effective for all ages. Their unique formulas can help the immune system and get rid of your cold and flu symptoms quickly. Make an appointment today for our nutrition scan to see what would complement the main advantages.

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IBS Medications - Ways to Treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome

IBS medications are symptom-specific which means that they try to reduce such symptoms as constipation, painful abdominal spasms and diarrhea. If the first IBS drug that you try does not help in symptom reduction, then go on to another option.

Research into functional disorders affecting the small intestine and colon (for example, IBS) is more difficult to conduct and there is less agreement among the research studies. This probably is a reflection of the complexity of the activities of the small intestine and colon and the difficulty in studying these activities. Researchers discover that patients who have at least one first degree relative with colon cancer were 25% less likely to die from the disease during 5.6 years of follow-up than those with no close relatives with colon cancer. The risk of dying was even lower (51%) for those with two or more relatives with colon cancer.

Treatment with these drugs does not address the cause of your IBS, and once you stop using the drugs the symptoms will return. The use of these drugs often results in serious side effects and/or negative long-term consequences. Treatment with lubiprostone showed significantly higher rates of gastrointestinal adverse events, especially diarrhea and nausea. These results warrant further study of lubiprostone for treatment of IBS-C patients. Treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) usually involves long-term management of your symptoms. It is important that you have a good working relationship with your health professional to monitor your symptoms and identify changes in your diet and lifestyle that can help relieve the symptoms.

Keep trying ibs medication until you find one that works for you.

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