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.

Can You Prevent the Stomach Flu With Vitamin C?

If you think taking vitamin C can help prevent getting the stomach flu, you’re mistaken. While vitamin C contains antioxidant properties that may help strengthen the immune system, the only way to prevent the stomach flu is to avoid acquiring the virus that causes it.

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Honey, lemon and ginger

Cough Remedies: Ginger, Honey & Lemon

Not only may over-the-counter medications (OTCs) for cold and cough have undesirable side effects such as nervousness, drowsiness and nausea, but their effectiveness is increasingly being called into question. Many studies, in fact, have found certain OTCs to be no more effective than placebo.

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Can Vitamins Prevent the Flu?

Influenza, more commonly known as the flu, is a viral infection that affects your upper respiratory system, causing symptoms such as congestion, cough, headache, fever, chills and fatigue. It is a highly contagious illness and is spread through the air and by touching contaminated surfaces.

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Man Suffering Chest Pain

A Tickling and Pressure in the Chest

Individually, a tickling or pressure in your chest is associated with a variety of health conditions. Combined, the two symptoms may indicate additional issues, including asthma and a heart attack. Chest pressure is a symptom that always requires prompt medical attention.

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disease, thermometer and drugs

How Does an Antiviral Drug Work?

Although there’s still no cure for the common cold, the flu virus has proved vulnerable to attack with drugs. Antiviral drugs can shorten the length of the illness, reduce severity of symptoms and help avoid complications.

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Toddler drinks tea

Cough Remedies for Infants and Toddlers

Because of the potential for serious side effects, the FDA has prohibited the use of over-the-counter cough medicines for children under the age of 4. So when infants 1 year old or younger have a cough, relying on natural remedies such as nasal rinsing, warm fluids and mist therapy is the best path to relief.

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Boy with a thermometer in his mouth

How to Get Rid of a Cold in Children

If your child has a runny nose, a sore throat, a cough and congestion, she might have the common cold, according to Children's Hospital Boston in the article "Upper Respiratory Infection." There is no cure for the common cold, and the symptoms usually do not require a doctor's care.

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Cold & Flu Symptoms While Pregnant

A pregnant woman is not any more or less immune than another person when it comes to catching a cold or the flu. The University of Michigan Health System explains that a woman's immune system is different during pregnancy leading her to have longer-lasting symptoms with a cold or the flu.

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Medications That Cause Coughing

Some drugs increase the risk for chronic cough, particularly angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors--ACEIs--medications used to treat hypertension. In addition, sitagliptin, a medication for type 2 diabetes, also causes cough, according to East Tennessee University professors James N. Baraniuk and Mary J.

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Coughing man having examination

Reasons for Coughing With Constant Phlegm

Coughing with constant phlegm is typically caused by an infection present somewhere in the respiratory tract. According to MayoClinic.com, coughing with phlegm can be caused by the common cold. People who suffer from tuberculosis or bronchitis can also experience coughing with phlegm.

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Bananas

The Bland Diet for a Stomach Flu

The stomach flu, also known as viral gastroenteritis, is a condition that everybody has dealt with at one time or another. It is a stomach ache accompanied by such symptoms as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or fever. Many germs can cause the stomach flu, but rarely is it caused by bacteria or other microbes.

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Ginger As a Natural Cough Suppressant

Conventional cough medicines can cause drowsiness, grogginess and may be too strong for some individuals. If you are looking for a natural alternative to treat your cough, ginger may be just the thing. According to "The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants,"

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Dry Cough in Children in Early Morning Hours

A dry cough when your child wakes in the morning is usually caused by mucous that has drained down the throat while the child is sleeping. When your child changes positions, he may cough to move the mucous out of his throat. Children may cough for up to four weeks, following a respiratory illness, according to Dr.

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Melted cream cheese

Probiotics & Stomach Flu

Stomach flu occurs when the bacteria in your stomach are out of balance. Bad bacteria has grown and multiplied, so now your stomach is overpopulated with bad bacteria. One way to treat your infectious diarrhea and restore your intestines back to good health is through probiotic therapy.

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Doctor Listening The Patient's Lungs

A Productive Cough and the Flu

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that flu affects millions of Americans each year, causing symptoms such as fever, dry cough, headache, muscle pain and fatigue. A productive cough with the flu usually signals the presence of flu-related complications.

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Little boy blows his nose

Effects of Excessive Coughing

Coughing is a normal respiratory reflex that occurs when the mouth or throat becomes irritated due to foreign material. However, coughing that lasts for more than eight weeks is medically dubbed the chronic cough.

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Little baby child receiving injection

Infant Flu Shot Side Effects

For the 2009-2010 flu season, the Food and Drug Administration approved two vaccines, Fluria and Fluzone, for administration in infants six months and older. No vaccine is approved for administration in infants younger than six months.

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Glass of juice with watermelon slices, close-up

The Effects of Cold Drinks on Digestion

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic medicine both take into consideration the hot or cold element of foods and beverages. Ayurvedic medicine advises to drink hot water in the morning to stimulate digestion.

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pregnant woman with  headache and pain

What to Do If Sick With Flu While Pregnant?

Influenza -- commonly called the flu, often causes fever, fatigue, headache and respiratory symptoms. In severe cases, this condition may even lead to death. The flu can be more dangerous for pregnant women and may even affect the fetus.

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Cup of tea in warm scarf

Bourbon Remedies for a Cold

Bourbon is a variation of whiskey made with corn, rye and barley malt. It’s a uniquely American product that dates back to Kentucky’s pioneer days—settlers with a bit of extra corn fermented and distilled it, creating a new kind of whiskey that came to be associated with Bourbon County.

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