Various of the Most Effective Choice of Flu Medicine for Adults and Children
The flu is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. The improper treatment makes you transmit the disease to other people. The good news is that there are many choices of the most effective cold medicines that can make you recover quickly, including flu medicines in pharmacies that can be purchased without a prescription.
Choice of cold medicine at a pharmacy
Many people do not immediately treat flu symptoms because they think the disease can heal itself. Even though it looks light, flu actually requires proper handling.
If not, flu can get worse and make you unable to go to school, work, or do various daily activities. Especially if you also have a history of heart disease, asthma, and diabetes.
Fortunately, there are many choices of cold medicine in a pharmacy without a prescription that can help you get better quickly. You can also find the medicines below as well as the nearest drug store or supermarket from home.
1. Paracetamol
Paracetamol is not the most effective cold medicine, but it can help relieve symptoms of flu. Usually, people with flu will experience a series of other symptoms such as fever, headaches, and body aches or pains. Well, paracetamol helps relieve these symptoms.
Paracetamol is mild pain relief and fever-lowering pain reliever without a doctor's prescription. This drug is effective for all people, including children, adults, pregnant women, and nursing mothers.
However, you still have to be careful if you want to buy taking this cold medicine at the pharmacy. If you have a certain medical history, such as heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes, avoid paracetamol. This drug may trigger other health problems that are more severe. So if you have a history of certain medical conditions, you should consult your doctor first.
You are also advised to consult a doctor first when you regularly take certain medications. Because the consumption of paracetamol along with other drugs can increase the risk of drug interactions. Eating alcohol or smoking can also cause dangerous interactions.
2. Ibuprofen
Just like paracetamol, ibuprofen is not the most effective cold medicine. However, ibuprofen is effective enough to reduce fever and relieve mild to moderate pain due to flu. Ibuprofen is a drug that is sold freely without a doctor's prescription. You can find this medicine easily at the nearest pharmacy or supermarket.
Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). This drug works in two ways. First, ibuprofen is responsible for inhibiting the production of certain chemical compounds that cause inflammation and pain. Second, this drug reduces inflammation in the body so that it speeds up the healing process.
Use this medicine in accordance with the instructions on the drug packaging label. Make sure you do not use this drug more than the safe dose or exceed the recommended usage period. Excessive use of ibuprofen can cause injury to the stomach and intestines.
In addition, this drug can also increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke if used over the recommended dosage or for a long time. For those of you who have a history of heart disease or various other chronic diseases, you should be more careful when using this medicine.
3. Antihistamine drugs
Another cold medicine that you can buy at a pharmacy is an antihistamine. Antihistamines are the most effective cold medicine if the symptoms are caused by allergies. This drug is effective for relieving flu symptoms caused by allergies such as runny nose, itchy throat, runny eyes or sneezing.
Antihistamines work by blocking the effects of histamine, which actually functions to fight viruses or bacteria. But for people who have allergies, histamine compounds in their bodies do not work properly so an allergic reaction arises when the body enters a substance that is actually harmless.
Chlorpheniramine and brompheniramine are two examples of antihistamine flu drugs in pharmacies. It is important to know that these two antihitamin drugs can cause drowsiness. So if you want to take the medicine, avoid operating the machine and driving the vehicle for a while or until the sleepy side effects disappear.
Alternatively, you can take other types of antihistamine drugs, such as fexofenadine, loratadine, and cetrizine which do not make you sleepy.
It should be noted that some antihistamine drugs for flu can interact with certain drugs, such as antidepressants and seizure medications. If you are routinely using both types of drugs, you should consult your doctor first to ensure safety and avoid side effects
You should also consult a doctor before buying this flu medication at the pharmacy if you have a history of kidney, liver and asthma. Antihistamines may worsen your condition. If you are worried about these side effects, don't hesitate to consult a doctor before taking them.
4. Dekongestan
Nasal congestion due to flu does make it difficult to breathe freely. The nose is blocked because the flu is caused by a blood vessel in the sinuses that is inflamed to swell. Coupled with excessive mucus production, this is what makes you more difficult to breathe.
The good news, you can get a decongestant flu drug at a pharmacy without a prescription. This cold medicine works to reduce swelling in the nasal passages and reduce the production of mucus so you can breathe more easily.
Flu medicines at this pharmacy are available in various preparations which include pills, tablets, syrups, and nasal sprays. Pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine are the types of decongestants that can be used as the most effective cold medicine.
However, be careful. Just like other drugs, decongestants also store side effects to watch out for. Decongestant side effects range from mild to severe. Drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth and throat, abdominal pain, constipation, and difficulty sleeping are some of the mild side effects of decongestants.
For people who have a risk of high blood pressure (hypertension), this drug can also cause heart palpitations and increase blood pressure. Therefore, before taking this medicine, people with hypertension should consult a doctor first.
5. Expectors
In addition to nasal congestion, flu can also trigger coughing up phlegm. So, the most effective cold medicine to relieve symptoms of this one is expectorant.
Expectorant drugs function to liquefy mucus in the throat and thin the phlegm that covers the lungs so that it can be easier to remove.
Expectorant medicine contains guaifenesin which is responsible for increasing the water content in the mucus and diluting it. Guaifensin is also responsible for making you cough so you can easily expel phlegm.
Expectorant drugs are available in syrup or tablet preparations. You can take this medicine before or after meals according to the instructions listed on the packaging label. After taking the medication, you are advised to drink plenty of water. Adequate fluid intake can help thin the phlegm and relieve your airway.
Nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and kliyengan are some of the most common side effects of expectorant medication. If you do not improve your condition or even get worse, immediately consult a doctor to get the right medical treatment.
The most effective cold medicine is antivirus
As explained above, the cause of flu is a viral infection. So, the most effective cold medicine is actually antiviral or antiviral. This drug works by inhibiting the development of viruses in the body so that it does not cause more severe symptoms.
Unfortunately, antiviral drugs should not be used carelessly. Antiviral drugs require a doctor's prescription. You can only buy it at the pharmacy by redeeming the recipe. This type of drug is not sold freely in stalls, pharmacies or large supermarkets.
There are various types of antiviral drugs that doctors can prescribe to treat colds. Oseltamivir, peramivir, zanamivir, baloxavir, rimantadine, and amantadine are some of the antiviral options that doctors often prescribe as the most effective cold medicines.
In order for drugs to work more effectively, antiviral drugs must be given at least 48 hours (2 days) after the appearance of flu symptoms. If given at the right time, antiviral drugs can speed up recovery time.
Even so, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) on its official website says that the faster an antivirus is given, the better. Especially for people who have had severe flu and are at high risk of serious flu complications.
In addition to prescribing antiviral drugs, your doctor may ask you to get a flu shot. The combination of these two treatments is considered effective to help improve the patient's immune system against infection.
Side effects of antiviral drugs
Even though it has been named the most effective cold medicine, it is important to understand that various antiviral drugs still have potential side effects. Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea, are some of the most common side effects that patients complain about after taking antiviral drugs to treat the flu.
If you are worried about the effects of the most effective flu drugs that have been mentioned earlier, do not hesitate to convey all the effects you feel to the doctor. The doctor will help find the best treatment that suits your condition.
Rules for taking antivirals to treat flu
The rules, dosages, and duration of taking antiviral drugs to treat flu may be different for each person. The doctor will prescribe medication according to the age and overall condition of the patient. In other words, the types of drugs that will be used in the phase of prevention and treatment of flu may be different.
In addition, how to use antiviral drugs to overcome any variety. Some can be taken directly because they are in the form of syrup or pills such as baloxavir and oseltamivir, they must be inhaled because they are in the form of powder such as zanamivir, as well as intravenously administered like peramivir.
Read the rules of use and dosage of medication before drinking
Before taking any flu medication purchased at a pharmacy, make sure to always read the rules of drug use carefully. Rules for using drugs are usually found on the outside of the packaging, in the brochure included in the box, or attached to the medicine bottle.
Make sure you take medicine according to the recommended rules. Do not try to reduce, multiply, or prolong the length of the dosage if you do not want to experience dangerous side effects.
If there are rules that you don't understand, don't hesitate to ask the pharmacist or ask the doctor directly. Make sure that the drug is safe for consumption without causing new problems.
If your condition does not improve, it worsens, or if serious health problems arise, seek medical help immediately. Don't hesitate to consult a doctor if you have questions or worry about your current condition.
Flu cannot be treated with antibiotics
There are still many people who think that antivirals and antibiotics are the same two types of drugs. In fact, they are different. Antibiotics are drugs to kill bacteria. While antivirals are drugs to kill viruses.
The cause of the flu is an influenza virus. So, flu can only be treated and cured with antivirals, not antibiotics.
The use of antiviral and antibiotics that are careless or unnecessary can cause their effectiveness to decrease. Instead of curing, the wrong use of drugs may worsen your condition, or even cause fatal side effects.
Therefore, always use antibiotics and antiviral drugs wisely or according to what your doctor prescribes. In addition, never stop, add or reduce the dose of any drug without the doctor's consent.
