Side Effects of Over the Counter Cold Medicines

Overuse of OTC cold medicines has been associated with many side effects, including breathing difficulties, neurological impairment, cardiac arrhythmias and even death. Thousands of emergency room visits occur each year in the United States as a result of overdose from OTC cold medicines in young children, often because the medicines don’t work very well, so the child is given more and more medicine. Other common reasons for overdose of OTC cold medicines in children include unknowingly giving the same medicine twice in two different products, failure to use a measuring device and using the wrong product.

Someone forward you this email? No Sweat! Sign up here to get your own If you're having trouble viewing this email, click here Follow Us Side Effects of Over the Counter Cold Medicines Overuse of OTC cold medicines has been associated with many side effects, including breathing difficulties, neurological impairment, cardiac arrhythmias and even death. Thousands of emergency room visits occur each year in the United States as a result of overdose from OTC cold medicines in young children, often because the medicines don’t work very well, so the child is given more and more medicine. Other common reasons for overdose of OTC cold medicines in children include unknowingly giving the same medicine twice in two different products, failure to use a measuring device and using the wrong product. Daniel More, MD Allergies Expert Safety of Over the Counter Cold Medicines The common cold affects millions of people in the United States every year, especially children. In fact, the average child experiences between 6 and 10 colds per year, each lasting up to 2 weeks. Symptoms of the common cold include a runny nose, sneezing, coughing and in many cases, fever. The common cold is often caused by the rhinovirus and cannot be cured by taking antibiotics, and while taking medicines for a cold doesn’t shortage the duration of symptoms, medicines can make a person feel more comfortable. READ NOW Why You Need the MedItRight App During cold and flu season (or year round really - because we can get sick any time), having an app on your phone or tablet that can quickly and easily help you pick out the right medication for your symptoms is essential. Way too many people take multi-symptom medications that treat symptoms they don't have or end up taking too much of a particular drug because they don't realize it is in more than more of their medications. READ NOW How Can I Tell if My Symptoms Are Due to Allergies or a Cold? 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. READ NOW Featured Articles • The Ultimate Thyroid Exercise Plan • Does Timing of Calories Matter? • 25 Outrageous Things Said About Thyroid Disease • Hypoparathyroidism: Understanding Low Parathyroid Function • 5 Lies You Tell Your Friends About IBD • Do Bananas Cause Weight Gain? • 6 Mental Tricks for Running Races • Zack Greinke's Experience with Social Anxiety Disorder Advertisement About Allergies  |  Follow Us You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Allergies newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10036 © 2015 About.com - All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.