Pain Relievers for the Common Cold

A person with a common cold can also have a sore throat and mild body pain. These symptoms can prevent you from doing your daily tasks. However, taking pain relievers can help relieve the discomfort. If you want to know more about the pain reliever you can take for your common cold, here are the details.

Oral pain relievers

Common cold-related pains such as headaches, joint pains, and earaches can develop even after taking medications for sneezing, stuffy nose, and coughs. Taking pain relievers can reduce or even relieve pain. These medications can lower fever as well. An urgent care clinic can help choose the right pain medication and dosage.

Pain relievers can work with cold and cough medicines to ease fever, headaches, and body aches. Acetaminophen can relieve fever, headaches, and muscle pain. It is an ingredient in cough syrup and cold medicines. Children and teens with bouts of the common cold can take acetaminophen. Their developing bodies can tolerate this medication well. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can also lower fever and relieve pain.

Ibuprofen can help relieve a sore throat in just two to four hours. Aspirin can relieve throat pain one to six hours after taking the medication. It also helps with muscle aches and headaches at the same time. Taking the lowest dose first is always ideal for preventing overdosage.

Sprays and lozenges

Combining oral over-the-counter medications with topical treatments can relieve throat pain faster. Topical pain relievers like throat sprays and lozenges can provide quicker relief than oral pain relievers alone. After taking the oral pain relievers, applying them can double the effect during a common cold. The topical pain relievers can act right away while waiting for the long-lasting effects of the oral pain medications. Oral pain relievers can also target body pain and headaches.

Lozenges may relieve pain better than throat sprays as they are more concentrated in the throat and mouth areas than throat sprays. Lozenges also last longer in the mouth. Choosing a menthol lozenge will soothe the throat. The active ingredients should be benzocaine or dyclonine to numb the throat while dealing with a common cold.

Menthol and camphor rubs

Menthol soothes and cools the skin upon application. Camphor relieves mild pain. Using these rubs on muscle and joint pain during a common cold can help relieve pain. Applying them to the chest can soothe congestion. It can also ease cough from a common cold.

These topical solutions may be cool on healthy skin. The feeling fades over time. But these can sting when wounded or dry skin comes in contact with them. Washing the application off will help relieve any skin irritation. Going to an urgent care facility is crucial if there is an allergic reaction.

Teas

Teas can soothe a painful throat. The effects of the tea depend on the patient's preferred tea. Caffeine can dry the throat. Choosing a caffeine-free tea can help soothe the throat more, and herbal teas are even better.