As a parent it is important to know that although there are many cough and cold medications to choose from, which are targeted towards children, this does not mean there are no FDA warnings or they have not been recalled due to dangerous affects. When you are choosing a medication for your child make sure to read the label and you may find FDA warnings that you otherwise would have missed. According to this study 1-in-3 children who were taken to an emergency center had been given an over the counter cough and cold remedy to cure their bronchiolitis. This is a common respiratory infection, which children of this age tend to be more susceptible to.

Although this study did not find any particular groups that were found to be at a higher risk than others, there were common factors discovered. Factors such as daycare attendance, exposure to second hand smoke, wheezing and use of antibiotics were all associated with the increased used of cough and cold medications. With this being said as a parent of a young child you may want to look into the alternative and natural methods of healing this type of cold for their safety.

Honey is one of the most popular natural alternatives to a cough and cold medication. It has been used for centuries to help cure and alleviate any infection within the respiratory area and is still just as effective today. In comparison to over the counter drugs, honey is by far much safer and provides the same if not faster results. This is what parents are looking for today. Another option is the use of garlic. You may already be aware of its healing properties when it comes to cancer and other serious conditions but it can be a great asset when it comes to the common cold in children as well. Basically you will want to remove the skin of 5-6 cloves of garlic and prepare a necklace using these cloves. During the day and when your child is sleeping the garlic will work its magic!

By making sure that your children are receiving all the nutrients and vitamins they need from their diet you are taking action to prevent these colds from becoming a regular occurrence. A young child with a weak immune system becomes susceptible to any cold or virus they come in contact with and this can lead to more and more serious conditions when not acted on immediately. Begin thinking about the natural ways to solve these cough and cold problems so you no longer have to worry about side effects or long lasting dangers that can be derived from over the counter products.

Recently I wrote about how ineffective cough and cold medications were for children, especially for those children ages two and younger.  Now, I’m here to tell you just how ineffective they are for us adults as well.

The results for the review of cough medicines were mixed at best (i.e. some showed some effectiveness, some showed zero effectiveness) but as the report indicates, mixed results means conflicting evidence, and conflicting evidence is evidence that disagrees rather than substantiates overall effectiveness.

Published in the latest issue of the medical review journal The Cochrane Library, a journal that reviews and analyzes medical research, it examined several studies that looked into the effectiveness of over-the-counter cough syrups like Robitussin and pediatric medicines like Triaminicol and Dacol.  The review also examined several other medicines that combined cough suppressants with antihistamines.  In all, the review examined 25 studies of nearly 2,900 adults and 616 children.

As aforementioned, their results were anything but supportive in terms of determining their effectiveness.  In fact, their effectiveness was so spotty, the researchers could not make any broad statistical conclusions.  For example, two of the studies looked at medicines that combine antihistamines and cough suppressants.  One was determined to be effective, the other wasn’t.  Other studies that compared placebos to antihistamines found no difference in their effectiveness relative to each other.  The same was true when reviewing cold medicines for children.

There is some good news, though.  Unlike the adverse side-effects reported regarding children and cold medicines, there does not appear to be any adverse side-effects of these medicines on adults’ health.  In other words, other than the fact that they don’t seem to have any healing powers in the cough and cold realm—and can be downright dangerous for children under the age of 2—they’d make a great addition to your medicine cabinet.  It makes you wonder how these cough and cold medicines are still in business, doesn’t it?

So, what can you do to get rid of that cold quickly?  Sorry to say, but there’s no quick-fix solution.  In fact, it may be a matter of doing the things your mom always told you to do when you got sick:  lots of rest, lots of fluids.  However, there are certainly things you can do to significantly reduce the severity of your symptoms. Read my article on Potent Cold-Crushing Remedies for the Common Cold. But as one of the lead researchers of the study said in an interview with Science Daily, coughing is not necessarily a bad thing.  Sure it’s annoying and something of a nuisance, but it’s the body’s way of shedding viruses. 

Just be sure to cover your mouth when you do.