does taking cold medication shorten the duration of your cold?

Answer 1

*** not usually...just makes it more bareable while u have it.

Answer 2

No. In many cases cold medication will lessen your symptoms, however this can be dangerous. If you take cough syrup for a wet chesty cough, the cough syrup will short circuit the coughing reflex and most probably lead to pneumonia. This is however an extreme example. Most of the time the duration of an infection will remain the same it will be that you don't notice the time that you are sick as much as when your are laid out flat with it. This is what 'cold medication' is designed to do, nothing more. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Taking Airborne helps prevent colds, supposedly.

Taking Cold-eeze as soon as you feel a cold coming on will shorten the duration of the cold. If you take it within the allowed time frame, the first 48 hours. There have been health complaints about this, if they're used for a long period of time. They're on the link.

Also, Echinacea is supposed to be a natural "cure."

There are over 200 viruses that cause the common cold so a vaccine is very unrealistic. (rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, echoviruses, adenoviruses, paramyxoviruses, reoviruses, eteroviruses, coxsackieviruses, orthomyxoviruses ... etc.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_cold#Treatment

Answer 4

In the past, I would say no. However, today, we have some new remedies on the market. One that comes to mind is something called "Cold FX". I saw a show on this a few days ago and apparently there is some merit to this- it does actually reduce the time of your nasty cold (I believe it was on Discovery channel). What's really interesting is that the cold virus is mainly caused by what are called Rhino Viruses (I have no idea where they got this name- not through Rhinoceroses! I believe Rhino means nasal which would explain it.). Another interesting fact is that there is a vaccination for the rhino virus which has been casually slipped into the background- probably because it may reduce the profitability of all the cold medication companies on the market.

Answer 5

It helps relieve the symptoms. There are anti-viral medications that help a great deal. The doctor has to prescribe those. You can take vitamins like C and also zinc. Gargle with salt water. I use a nasal solution that contains the same ingredients as Zycan. Read your labels carefully. A lot of them just have a main ingredient of saline. Just Simply Saline, (recommended by my Ears, nose, and throat specialist.) Ask a pharmacist as well. Saline solution actually will break up the congestion in your nose, throat, and chest. If you begin coughing up yellow or yellow-green sputum, see your doctor. You have an infection.

Bless your heart. I hope you are not getting a cold.

Answer 6

Nope, it only helps relieve the symptoms. Some stuff, like Zicam can help reduce the duration of a cold though.

Answer 7

Zicam is proven to shorten the duration of the common cold. Cold remedies such as Nyquil and such only cover up your symptoms.

Answer 8

No. Cold medication will only treat the symptoms of a cold.

Answer 9

I don't think so. There is no treatment for colds since it is a retro-virus. Cold meds only treat symptoms

Answer 10

no. colds are viruses. to get rid of them, you need antibiotics.. but it is unsessary. over the counter meds only take away the sniffles cough and stuff like that.. it DOES NOT shorten the duration.

Answer 11

Apparently ColdFX does (sold under this name in Canada), and zinc lozenges.