Pop Quiz
Pop Quiz
Think
you know the best meds for common health woes? Think again—and consult our
cheat sheet.
Chances
are, you have no shortage of OTC helpers on your medicine-cabinet shelves. But
chances are also good that you’re clueless about how they work and which one is
right for what ails you.
Per
a study, only 41 percent of people read the ingredients labels on
nonprescription meds before buying them, and nearly 70 percent have no idea what’s
in some of their drugs.
Here
to help: a guide to the fastest-acting fixes.
Healthy Dose YOUR AILMENT:
Allergies
YOUR
OPTIONS: diphenhydramine, fexofenadine, cetirizine, loratadine
YOUR
BEST BET: cetirizine
This
group of (barely pronounceable!) meds is often referred to as antihistamines,
which are your
go-to for relief from seasonal sneezing and dripping. Research shows cetirizine
is the most all-around effective at relieving symptoms caused by your body’s
overactive immune response to allergens, though it does make a small percentage
of users drowsy, says JamesSublett,
M.D., managing partner of Family Allergy & Asthma in Louisville, Kentucky.
For a nonsedating option, take a med with loratadine. Or try something more
natural. “Research shows
that using a bottle of saline nasal spray with a few drops of peppermint oil
added
can
ease nasal congestion,” says Sakina Bajowala, M.D., an allergist and
immunologist in North Aurora, Illinois.
YOUR AILMENT:
Headache
YOUR
OPTIONS: ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, naproxen
YOUR
BEST BET: ibuprofen
While
all of the above can ease head pounders, antiinflammatories like ibuprofen work
the fastest, says Andrew Blumenfeld, M.D., director of the Headache Center of
Southern California. It puts the kibosh on production of natural chemicals
called prostaglandins that play a major role in noggin pain.
Ibuprofen
also helps deflate two common headache triggers: tense neck muscles and swollen
blood vessels around your temples.
One
study found ibuprofen to be more effective than acetaminophen for any kind of
pain, and experts suggest popping it for a fever too, since those
prostaglandins are also tied to elevated body temps.
YOUR AILMENT:
A small cut
YOUR
OPTIONS: hydrogen peroxide, neomycin, iodine, isopropyl alcohol
YOUR
BEST BET: none of the above
“Even
if you cut yourself with a knife that you just used on raw chicken, washing the
area
gently
with regular soap, then flushing it with cool running water for five minutes is
the
most
effective thing you can do to ensure you don’t get a wound infection,” says
emergency physician Rahul Khare, M.D., of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in
Chicago.
Skip
the layering on of hydrogen peroxide, iodine, and isopropyl alcohol, as their
repeated usage can actually damage and inflame wounded skin cells and lengthen healing
time.
Your ailment:
Itching
Your
options: aloe, calamine, hydrocortisone, pramoxine
hydrochloride, diphenhydramine
Your
best bet: calamine
A
review in Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin found that OTC remedies
like antihistamines and topical hydrocortisones generally aren’t
too effective in quelling the
itching that springs from
skin
irritants such as bug bites.
What
does work, says Khare, is icing the itchy area, then slathering on calamine
lotion. “It includes natural plant-derived chemicals that have a cooling effect
on the skin,” he says.
(For
recurrent itching or hives, see an M.D. stat.)
Your ailment:
Congestion/coughing
Your
options: guaifenesin, dextromethorphan, pseudoephedrine
Your
best bet: guaifenesin Popping
a decongestant like pseudoephedrine at the first sign of sniffles
shrinks blood vessels in the nasal passages and promotes nose and
sinus draining. But if you’re already congested, opt for guaifenesin,
which thins the mucus that’s lodged in your lungs, making it
easier for you to cough it out, says Roberta Lee, M.D., vice chair
of the department of integrative medicine at Beth Israel Medical
Center in New York City. Gulp down a big glass of water as you
take your dose; extra fluids will further break up phlegm and
lubricate
your throat.
Take
a cough suppressant like dextromethorphan only when you’re desperate to quiet a
dry cough. It works in the brain to decrease your cough reflex, but it can make
expelling anything harder (hence, prolonged hacking).
Your ailment:
Cold sore
Your
options: docosanol, benzocaine
Your
best bet: docosanol Cold
sores stem from HSV-1, a type of herpes virus
that
can’t be cured. It can, however, be controlled. Docosanol helps cut down on the
duration of outbreaks and reduces symptoms like pain and itching, according to a
study from the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Just be sure to act quickly: The second you feel a cold sore coming on (early
symptoms include tingling, itching, and redness),
smear
on some docosanol, then repeat up to five times a day for 10 days. And stock up
on another musthave medicine-cabinet item: SPF 30. “Sun exposure can trigger
cold-sore outbreaks, so also be sure to always coat your lips with an SPF lip balm,”
advises Lee.
Your ailment:
Sore throat
Your
options: benzocaine, menthol, ibuprofen
Your
best bet: benzocaine and ibuprofen
First,
toss any sugary-sweet lozenges you may have lying around; they taste good but
offer scant relief. Stronger than menthol, benzocaine is a local anesthetic, or
numbing agent, that relieves discomfort by blocking nerve pain signals.
Benzocaine throat sprays often deliver
faster,
stronger aid than cough drops laced with the stuff, and subsequently swallowing
an ibuprofen tablet can bring down painful throat inflammation, says Lee.
You
can also stir a little honey into a cup of tea. Honey’s natural
anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties (manuka honey, available at
health food stores, works best) may soothe a sore throat and jump-start
healing.
All Fitness ____ By Kristen Dold
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