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 | There are literally hundreds of different over-the-counter (OTC) medicines available to treat the common cold, the flu, and allergy symptoms. Anyone who has walked down the cold and allergy section of a drugstore is familiar with the numerous confusing choices. Even as a physician, I find myself ignoring the name and rather looking at the active ingredients on the back of the package. But what about the person who isn't familiar with pharmacology? There's too much guess work in choosing the right OTC medicine, especially when the wrong choice may lead to a lack of relief -- or worse, taking unnecessary medicines. At last, there is a solution: MedItRight is a free iPhone app that assists users in choosing an appropriate OTC cold, flu or allergy medicine based on symptoms. It also takes into account the age of the person needing the medicine, formulation preferences (such as tablet, chewable or syrup), as well as being able to choose which common side effects wish to be avoided. MedItRight was developed by physicians who understand the confusion when choosing an appropriate OTC cold, flu or allergy medicine. MedItRight is available just in time for winter cold and flu season. Download MedItRight for free, and start using it today and feel better tomorrow. | | Is It a Cold, or Is It an Allergy?
Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell. The symptoms of allergies can be very similar to the symptoms of the common cold, but there are some important differences. Both may cause nasal congestion, runny nose, post nasal drip and sneezing. Itching -- especially of the eyes, nose, and sometimes the ears and throat -- is a common feature of allergies, but is usually not present with a cold. Other symptoms, such as body aches, fever and sore throat, commonly occur with a cold; these symptoms are absent with allergies.
| Symptom-Based Approach to Allergy Treatment
For the person with nasal allergy symptoms, the choices of available medicines can be daunting. From pills to nasal sprays, it can be quite difficult to decide which medication is best for your symptoms. While there is no one-size-fits-all allergy medicine, there may be better choices based on the kind of symptoms you're experiencing. By basing your medicine choices on symptoms, you're likely to feel better faster, and probably safe money in the process.
| OTC Medicines for the Treatment of Allergies
There are numerous over-the-counter (OTC) medications available for the treatment of allergy symptoms. Some of these, like oral decongestants such as Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) and sedating antihistamines like Benadryl (diphenhydramine), have been available for many years. Others, such as Claritin (loratadine) and Zyrtec-D (cetirizine/pseudoephedrine), have only recently become available OTC without a prescription.
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