The State of the Pandemic

Aleve-D Sinus And Cold Oral

This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.

Medical warning:

Moderate. These medicines may cause some risk when taken together. Contact your healthcare professional (e.G. Doctor or pharmacist) for more information.

How the interaction occurs:

When these two medicines are taken together, they may increase chances for stomach problems.

What might happen:

Your risk of developing a bleeding stomach ulcer.

What you should do about this interaction:

Let your healthcare professionals (e.G. Doctor or pharmacist) know that you are taking these medicines together and if you have a history of stomach ulcers or bleeding, smoke, use alcohol regularly, and/or are taking a blood thinner. If you experience stomach pain, stomach upset, or notice black, tarry stools, contact your doctor as soon as possible. It may be necessary to adjust the dose of your medicines.Your healthcare professionals may already be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.

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CONDITIONS OF USE: The information in this database is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for you or anyone else. A healthcare professional should be consulted before taking any drug, changing any diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment.

How To Identify, Treat, And Prevent A Head Cold

Head colds involve symptoms in your head, like headache, congestion, or runny nose or eyes. Symptoms should improve within a few days, and can usually be managed at home with rest and over-the-counter medications.

The head cold, also known as the common cold, is usually a mild illness, but it can impact your daily life. In addition to sneezes, sniffles, coughs, and a sore throat, a head cold can leave you feeling tired, rundown, and generally unwell for several days.

Adults get two or three cases of the head cold each year. Kids can catch eight or more of these illnesses annually. Colds are the main reason why kids stay home from school and adults miss work.

Most colds are mild and last about a week. But some people, especially those with a weakened immune system, can develop more serious illnesses as a complication of a head cold, such as bronchitis, a sinus infection, or pneumonia.

Learn how to spot the symptoms of a head cold and find out how to treat your symptoms if you do come down with a cold.

You might have heard the terms "head cold" and "chest cold." All colds are basically respiratory infections caused by a virus. The difference in terms usually refers to the location of your symptoms.

A "head cold" involves symptoms in your head, like a stuffed, runny nose and watery eyes. With a "chest cold," you'll have chest congestion and a cough. Viral bronchitis is sometimes called a "chest cold." Like colds, viruses also cause viral bronchitis.

One way to know whether you've caught a head cold is by the symptoms. These include:

a stuffed or runny nose

sneezing

sore throat

cough

low-grade fever

general ill feeling

mild body aches or headache

Head cold symptoms usually appear one to three days after you've been exposed to the virus. Your symptoms should last for seven to 10 days.

A head cold and sinus infection share many of the same symptoms, including:

congestion

dripping nose

headache

cough

sore throat

Yet their causes are different. Viruses cause colds. Although viruses can cause sinus infections, often these illnesses are due to bacteria.

You get a sinus infection when bacteria or other germs grow in the air-filled spaces behind your cheeks, forehead, and nose. Additional symptoms include:

discharge from your nose, which may be a greenish color

postnasal drip, which is mucus that runs down the back of your throat

pain or tenderness in your face, especially around your eyes, nose, cheeks, and forehead

pain or ache in your teeth

reduced sense of smell

fever

fatigue

bad breath

Colds are caused by viruses, most commonly rhinoviruses. Other viruses that are responsible for colds include:

Bacteria don't cause colds. That's why antibiotics won't work to treat a cold.

Learn more: Common cold causes »

You catch a cold when someone who's infected sneezes or coughs, and sprays droplets containing the virus into the air. Another way to get sick is by touching surfaces, like doorknobs, phones, or toys, that have the virus on them. The virus can get into your body when you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.

You're more likely to catch a cold if you have a weakened immune system or you smoke. Colds spread more in the fall and winter months than in the spring and summer.

Colds are usually mild illnesses. You shouldn't need to see a doctor for general cold symptoms like a stuffed nose, sneezing, and coughing. Do see a doctor if you have these more serious symptoms:

trouble breathing or wheezing

a fever higher than 101.3°F (38.5°C)

a severe sore throat

a severe headache, especially with a fever

a cough that is hard to stop or that doesn't go away

ear pain

pain around your nose, eyes, or forehead that doesn't go away

rash

extreme fatigue

confusion

Call your doctor if your symptoms haven't improved after seven days, or if they get worse. You could have one of these complications, which develop in a small number of people who get colds:

You can't cure a cold. Antibiotics kill bacteria, not the viruses that cause colds.

Your symptoms should improve within a few days. Until then, here are a few things you can do to make yourself more comfortable:

Take it easy. Rest as much as you can to give your body time to recover.

Drink lots of fluids, preferably water and fruit juices. Stay away from caffeinated drinks like soda and coffee. They'll dehydrate you even more. Also avoid alcohol until you feel better.

Soothe your sore throat. Gargle with a mixture of 1/2 teaspoon salt and 8 ounces of water a few times a day. Suck on a lozenge. Drink hot tea or soup broth. Or use a sore throat spray.

Open up clogged nasal passages. A saline spray can help loosen up mucus in your nose. You can also try a decongestant spray, but stop using it after three days. Using decongestant sprays for longer than three days can lead to rebound stuffiness.

Use a vaporizer or humidifier in your room while you sleep to ease congestion.

Take a pain reliever. For mild aches, you can try an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). Aspirin (Bufferin, Bayer Aspirin) is fine for adults, but avoid its use in children and teens. It can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome.

If you use an OTC cold remedy, check the box. Make sure you only take medicine that treats the symptoms you have. Don't give cold medicines to children under age 6.

Read more: 11 cold and flu home remedies »

Usually colds clear up within a week to 10 days. Less often, a cold can develop into a more serious infection, like pneumonia or bronchitis. If your symptoms continue for more than 10 days, or if they are getting worse, see your doctor.

Especially during cold season, which is in the fall and winter, take these steps to avoid getting sick:

Avoid anyone who looks and acts sick. Ask them to sneeze and cough into their elbow, rather than into the air.

Wash your hands. After you shake hands or touch common surfaces, wash your hands with warm water and soap. Or, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to kill germs.

Keep your hands away from your face. Don't touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, which are areas where germs can easily enter your body.

Don't share. Use your own glasses, utensils, towels, and other personal items.

Boost your immunity. You'll be less likely to catch a cold if your immune system is working at peak capacity. Eat a well-rounded diet, get seven to nine hours of sleep nightly, exercise, and manage stress to stay healthy.

Summer Sinus Problems

If you're among the 37 million Americans who suffer from sinus problems, you know just how miserable the symptoms can make you feel. The congestion. The facial pain. The postnasal drip-drip-drip.

Summer often brings a bit of a respite, as the cold viruses that trigger most cases of sinusitis are less active in warm weather. And, experts say the sinus problems that do crop up in summer can often be avoided -- if you take these six precautions:

In most parts of the country, the air outdoors is filled with pollen in summer months. Pollen is harmless to most people. But for some, breathing pollen-laden air can cause symptoms ranging from sneezing and itchy, watery eyes to nasal congestion -- which, in turn, can bring sinus trouble.

There's no way to avoid pollen entirely. "It's blowing all over the place," says James Stankiewicz, MD, chairman of the department of otolaryngology at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. "You can't put yourself in a bubble, and surgical masks don't filter everything out."

But, it helps to stay indoors in the morning hours, when pollen levels peak, he says. When indoors or in your car, keep the windows up and the air conditioner on.

A HEPA air filter and vacuum cleaner can be helpful, especially if your home is carpeted. And, if you have a dog that spends time outside, bathing it regularly during the summer months will help keep it from tracking pollen throughout your house.

Hay fever sufferers who are planning a summer getaway may want to check pollen levels at their destination before finalizing an itinerary. A week at the beach (where pollen levels tend to be low) might make more sense than a week of camping.

Because sinus infections typically start off as colds, steps you take to ward off cold-causing rhinoviruses also help safeguard your sinuses.

One of the most important precautions is to keep your nasal passages moist. You can do this with the help of an over-the-counter salt water (saline) spray. Keep a bottle handy, and give each nostril a blast several times a day.

Nasal douching, that is. It moistens nasal passages and helps rid the nose of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that can lead to sinus pain and inflammation.

Nasal douching, a.K.A. Nasal irrigation, is easy to do: Once a day, lean over the sink, tilt your head, and rinse out your nostrils with warm salt water.

"You can do this in less than five minutes," says Scott P. Stringer, MD, chairman of otolaryngology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. "Make it part of your tooth brushing routine. You just need about two tablespoons of water for each side."

If you find it hard to manipulate a squeeze bottle or bulb, try a neti pot. That's a receptacle specially designed for nasal douching.

The mucous membrane that lines the nostrils and sinuses can be damaged by various irritants, including automobile exhaust, smog, mold spores, and smoke from a campfire or cigarettes. So, do what you can to limit your exposure.

"Smoke is the single worst thing for the sinus sufferer," says Denver-based sinus specialist (and former sinus sufferer) Robert S. Ivker, DO, author of Sinus Survival. "It damages the delicate cilia and the mucous membrane itself."

Another major offender is the chlorine in swimming pools -- particularly indoor pools with limited ventilation. If you spend lots of time in the pool each summer, a nose clip can offer some protection. And, be aware that diving can force water into your nostrils and sinuses.

Unchlorinated water, like that found in unpolluted lakes and rivers and in the ocean, poses little threat to your sinuses.

The bone-dry, often germ-laden air inside the cabin of an airliner is notoriously hostile to sinuses. To protect yours during the onslaught, take along some saline nasal spray and spritz repeatedly while aloft. Drinking lots of water also helps, experts say.

If you're already experiencing sinus congestion, you might have trouble clearing your ears during the flight. If you can't postpone your trip, use Afrin (oxymetazoline) nasal spray before takeoff, and swallow repeatedly during ascent and descent. (Because oxymetazoline can be habit forming, doctors warn not to use it more than a few days.)

Nonprescription antihistamines, such as Claritin and Zyrtec, can be quite effective against minor allergy symptoms, including sneezing and a runny, itchy nose. If you're also bothered by congestion, adding an over-the-counter decongestant such as Sudafed might help. Antihistamine-decongestant combinations are also available; these products often include a "D" in the name, as in Claritin D.

For more severe or persistent symptoms, consult your doctor. You might need a steroid nasal spray or course of antibiotics. If your symptoms are especially bad, you might be a candidate for allergy shots or another form of immunotherapy.

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