Cold and Flu Relief: Cough Remedies and Immune Support

What are the best ways to get rid of a bad, dry cough or shorten a cold's duration? From flu shot reactions to cough remedies while pregnant, managing cold and flu involves targeted nutrition and mucus clearance.

Relaxing coffee in bed

How to Build Up Your Immune System to Fight The Flu

Ugh. The [dreaded flu](https://www.livestrong.com/article/1011708-cold-flu/). Influenza (the scientific name for the flu) is an upper respiratory infection that can result in symptoms like a dry cough, sore throat, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite.

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Hot tea with ginger honey and lemon

Ways to Stop Coughing Attacks

Troublesome coughing attacks can often be interrupted with short-term remedies, such as hot tea, honey or cough lozenges.

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Flu Shot Side Effects, Including Fatigue

Flu Shot Side Effects, Including Fatigue

If the odds of winning the lottery were 1 in 5, the line for tickets would be long indeed. In fact, as many as 1 in every 5 Americans get the flu each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These high odds could be decreased if more Americans took advantage of influenza immunization.

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Doctor Discussing Records With Patient Using Digital Tablet

How Does Tamiflu Work?

Tamiflu is an antiviral prescription medication used to treat influenza type A and type B found in the human body. The generic drug is known as oseltamivir phosphate. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says Tamiflu isn't a substitute for the flu vaccine.

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Plenty of white tablets in packing

The Effects of Decongestants

With more than 30 million Americans suffering from congestion, decongestants are a popular over-the-counter medication, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pseudoephedrine, or Sudafed, and phenylephrine, or Sudafed PE, are the two most common oral decongestants available OTC.

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Stressed businessman sitting at bar with drink

Symptoms When Going Cold Turkey

Smokers who go cold turkey will undergo withdrawal symptoms, both physically and mentally. The body is used to its regular dose of nicotine and craves it when you suddenly give up the habit. The ex-smoker may suffer from anxiety, frustration and impatience. This is a major reason many people go back to smoking.

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Air humidifier, home appliance

How to Clean Humidifier Filters with Vinegar

Humidifier filters are subject to mineral deposit buildup over time, especially if you use hard water in the humidifier. These deposits can make the humidifier run less efficiently. This can cause a problem for those who need to avoid dry air because of illness or allergies.

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Honey jar isolated on jute background

What Type of Honey Should I Give My Child for Cough?

Many over-the-counter medicines pose dangers to children, and the Food and Drug Administration warns that children younger than 2 should never take decongestants. Honey, however, is an excellent natural remedy for coughing for children older than 1.

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Basket of Garlic at the Farmers' Market

Is Garlic a Cough Remedy?

Garlic, an herb with a pungent flavor, has been used medicinally since ancient times, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, and is a popular home remedy for a variety of conditions in 2011.

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Ginger root

Help for Nausea With the Flu

The influenza virus primarily infects the respiratory tract, causing sore throat, coughing, fever and muscle aches. But influenza can also cause digestive symptoms. A December 2015 "Virology Journal"

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How to Ease the Discomfort of the Stomach Flu for a Child

The vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches and low-grade fever that generally accompany the stomach flu can leave a child in misery for days. Symptoms of the stomach flu, or viral gastroenteritis, can last for up to 10 days, although some children luck out and feel better after one or two days.

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About Type B Strain Flu

Influenza type B is one of three types of flu virus, the other two being type A and type C. Of the three, types A and B cause seasonal flu and can lead to epidemics. Between November and April, the time period known as flu season, is when most flu epidemics occur, according to Nemours Foundation.

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Pediatrician doing checkup on baby

My 1-Year-Old Has a Bad Cough

A cough occurs when a child’s body is responding to irritants in airways. This usually occurs due to an upper respiratory infection. During the first two years of life, more kids get upper respiratory infections than any other illness, reports the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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Spray humidifier

How to Clean a Vick's Humidifier Filter

Vicks produces a line of humidifiers designed to treat the air in uncomfortably dry environments; these devices are also capable of filling a room with medicinal vapors that may soothe the symptoms of a cold, flu or allergies.

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Natural Chest Expectorant

If you have a congested cough, also known as a wet cough, seek relief in natural expectorants. These substances thin out and break up the mucus stuck in your lungs, making it easier to breathe and your cough more productive. Remember to spit out any mucus that's dislodged, rather than swallowing it.

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Cold Symptoms at Night

More than 200 viruses can cause the common cold, according to MedlinePlus. Colds are prevalent during the winter, and symptoms can be quite uncomfortable, especially at night. Sneezing, stuffy nose and sore throat are common features.

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What Are the Causes of Continuous Productive Coughing?

Coughing is one of the most common reasons people visit a doctor, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. A productive cough is one that produces mucus, or phlegm. A continuous, or chronic, productive cough is not normal and may indicate a disorder of the lungs.

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Man coughing

Expectorant Doses

If you purchase an over-the-counter expectorant, the active ingredient is almost certain to be guaifenesin. Guaifenesin thins secretions in the lungs and nasal passages, makes it easier to cough up phlegm and eases lung congestion. Guaifenesin has few side effects when taken at recommended dosages.

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Spray humidifier

What Are the Cons of Humidifiers?

A humidifier transforms water into airborne moisture to help add humidity to the air surrounding it. This can have several benefits to your health, including relieving irritated respiratory systems, eyes and skin caused by excessively dry air. But using a humidifier is not without its potential cons and drawbacks.

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