{"id":1589,"date":"2024-05-02T20:52:24","date_gmt":"2024-05-02T20:52:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aetf.com\/?post_type=news&#038;p=1589"},"modified":"2024-05-02T22:01:56","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T22:01:56","slug":"when-you-just-want-to-stop-sneezing","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.aetf.com\/news\/when-you-just-want-to-stop-sneezing\/","title":{"rendered":"When You Just Want to Stop Sneezing"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When You Just Want to Stop Sneezing<\/h1>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Choose the Best OTC Medication<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are a bewildering number of over-the-counter (OTC) medications in the cold\/flu\/allergy aisle. To narrow down your options, start with your condition, then focus on the symptom.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>(The following is general information regarding OTC medication. You should always consult with your doctor with questions regarding whether an OTC medication is appropriate for you.)<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If You Have A Cold<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Congestion?<\/strong> Try a decongestant for quick, temporary relief of nasal and sinus congestion. (Not recommended for people with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, glaucoma, or hyperthyroidism.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Oral (tablets, capsules, liquid) options containing pseudoephedrine are safe and effective.<\/li>\n<li>Nasal sprays (oxymetazoline and phenylephrine*) work within minutes. Limit use to three days; if used longer, symptoms may return and be tougher to treat. (*No longer considered useful in pill form, but effective in a nasal spray.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Wet cough?<\/strong> Look for an expectorant (guaifenesin), which may loosen up and thin the mucus in your airways, so that you can cough it up more easily.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If You Have The Flu<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Fever\/body aches\/headache?<\/strong> Acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can bring down a fever and provide relief for headaches and body aches. Aspirin is another option for people over 19 years old.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Can\u2019t sleep?<\/strong> \u201cNighttime\u201d products contain ingredients (diphenhydramine, doxylamine, dextromethorphan) that make you sleepy.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If You Have Seasonal Allergies<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Sneezing, runny nose and itchy skin or eyes?<\/strong> Try an antihistamine to dry up sinuses and reduce itchiness.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Oral (tablets, capsules, liquid) options that are less likely to cause drowsiness include cetirizine, desloratadine, fexofenadine, levocetirizine, and loratadine.<\/li>\n<li>Antihistamine nasal sprays (azelastine, cromolyn sodium) block mast cells, which cause allergy symptoms when they\u2019re released.<\/li>\n<li>Steroid nasal sprays (fluticasone, mometasone, triamcinolone, budesonide) calm the immune system\u2019s response to allergens.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Dry cough?<\/strong> You\u2019ll want a suppressant (dextromethorphan) which helps to block the cough reflex.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OTC Tips<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Ask your doctor if an OTC product is safe for you if you have health conditions or take another medication.<\/li>\n<li>Look at the label\u2019s Drug Facts to see the active ingredient, the symptom it treats, and dosage.<\/li>\n<li>Save money with generics; they have the same active ingredients as brand name products and are just as effective.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid taking too much of an ingredient if you use more than one OTC product at the same time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to Choose the Best OTC Medication<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1590,"template":"","categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1589","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aetf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/1589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aetf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aetf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aetf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aetf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aetf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aetf.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}