I have a cold and fever, do I need to see a doctor?

Many years later when I became both a doctor and a parent, I realized that colds can be a big deal. For healthy people most don't require a trip to the hospital. For example I have managed both of our children through all the colds and fevers they've had in their lives. Never taking them to the hospital. And they've been fine.

Whether it's the flu or a cold it's almost always self-limiting. That is symptoms peak for 3-5 days; and then the fever and general symptoms will get better on their own. But you can't just wait it out at home. You need to use some medication.

Which cold and flu medications should I have at home? You will see that there are several major categories of commonly available:

The first major category is analgesic-antipyretics.

The common ones in this category are ibuprofen, acetaminophen and Loxoprofen Sodium tablets (Loxone).

Can I take medicine to make the flu go away faster?

For the mostly self-limiting flu and colds there is no convincing evidence that these medications prolong or shorten the duration of illness. But one thing is certain: It can relieve fever and pain and ease your discomfort. It is generally recommended for fevers higher than 38.5°C (101.3°F), It can also be used to relieve symptoms such as sore throat, headaches and muscle aches. This is a class of medication that you can buy yourself at the pharmacy. And the exact dosage and usage instructions are on the label so just take it as directed.

The second major class of medicines deals with nasal congestion and rhinorrhea.

Adults can tolerate a cold with a stuffy nose. But children can become very irritable. Even affecting their sleep. You can start by rinsing your nose with saline. Which has no side effects.

Common medications include chlorpheniramine and diphenhydramine to relieve rhinorrhea; and pseudoephedrine to relieve nasal congestion.

Pseudoephedrine is commonly used in children either orally or by nasal spray to relieve nasal congestion. But because it has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system it should not be used for long periods usually no more than 7 days.

There is also a third major group of medicines that deal with cough and sputum.

What you need to know is that cough suppressants are not always necessary.

Because coughing is a normal physiological reflex. It can expel phlegm and other metabolites from the body. If it does not affect normal life. We can cough up phlegm and try to cough out.

Of course if it seriously affects your life. Such as coughing so much that you can't sleep at night; or coughing too frequently that it affects your breathing. Then you can consider using cough suppressants.

When you buy medicines you will find that some cough suppressants due to the presence of some easily addictive ingredients must have a prescription to buy.

Of course there are several over-the-counter medicines such as the Western medicine Pentoxyverine (e.g., Carbetapentane) as well as most Chinese medicines such as Acute Sore Throat Syrup and Chuanbei Cough Syrup that you can buy and keep at home.

Additionally if the phlegm is thick and you can't cough it up. You will need some expectorant medicines.

For example bromhexine ambroxol and acetylcysteine are over-the-counter medicines that can be bought at pharmacies.

If these symptoms are not relieved. Or if they are accompanied by some breathing difficulties. You can also consider nebulizer therapy to get rid of the phlegm.

Nebulization is not mysterious. It is simply a new way of administering medication that involves turning it into fine mist-like particles that are inhaled into the respiratory tract.

This gives a more direct and deeper effect. The amount of medication used is also relatively small.

If you need to consider nebulizer treatment to help you stop coughing and clear mucus talk to your doctor about which medications you need to use.

Beyond the three types of medicines we've just mentioned you'll also see some combination cold medications which are combinations of the above such as DayQuil/NyQuil pseudoephedrine extended-release capsules Aminocarbamate Capsules and Mucinex to name just a few.

It is important to be careful when using combination drugs as it is usually better to take one type of medicine rather than all of them, as an overdose is possible, and this type of compounded cold and flu medicine is not generally recommended for children under 6 years of age.