Many of us have heard of the so called Penn State Plague and if you haven’t all you have to do is walk into the Forum and listen to the constant coughing and sniffling. Many people on campus are already sick and if you aren’t there is a good chance you will be very soon. So what are the best ways to treat this if you are sick and how do you avoid it if you aren’t?

If you are trying to get rid of cold bug there are some dos and some don’ts. According to an article on Mayo Clinic if you are trying to self-medicate with antibiotics and zinc you should stop now because these things won’t work. Antibiotics are meant for infections which are caused by bacteria, whereas the common cold is caused by a different microorganism, a virus, so unless you have more than just a cold antibiotics won’t work. Zinc, on the other hand, while it has the reputation of fighting colds it actually isn’t that effective according to this article. Many of the studies conducted to see if this mineral is actually effective were flawed so it is hard to find any reliable information as far as its cold fighting power. In addition, of the few studies that aren’t as flawed show that zinc only works if taken in the first few hours after the onset of a cold. There are also FDA warnings against taking nasal medicines containing zinc because it may cause a loss of smell along with its other side effects including nausea.

You are probably wondering at this point what you should take for that pesky cold. According to an article from the American Academy of Otolaryngology you should be taking either antihistamines, decongestants, or a combination of the two. Antihistamines block the chemical, called a histamine, which causes many cold and allergy symptoms such as sneezing and a runny nose. Decongestants relieve congestion which occurs when the blood vesicles swell up causing the pressure you feel under your eyes and on your forehead. It is recommended that you take one or both of these depending on your symptoms. In addition to this the Mayo Clinic article says that drinking liquids, with the exception of alcohol, coffee, and soda, humidity, and saline nasal sprays are also good at ameliorating a cold. The most important thing for those who are sick is to stay home so they’re don’t get others sick.

Works Cited

“Antihistamines, Decongestants, and Cold Remedies.” American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.

“Common Cold.” Cold Remedies: What Works, What Doesn’t, What Can’t Hurt. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014.