Cold & Flu Articles

Clear Your Congestion

The most common reason for a congested nose is a cold or an allergen. Membranes in the noses lining become swollen causing you to become congested. Decongestants are medicines used to ease that runny nose. The decongestant lessens the swelling and narrows the blood vessels that are supplied and the membranes shrink, making that runny nose temporarily disappear.

The Difference between a Cold and the Flu

The flu and the common cold are caused by different viruses, although they are both respiratory illnesses. It can be difficult to tell the difference between the two because both a cold and the flu have similar flu-like symptoms. Although, in general, the flu is worse than the common cold, and in the flu, fever, body aches, extreme tiredness and dry cough are generally more intense with the flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. With a cold, serious health problem such as pneumonia, bacterial infections and hospitalization do not occur.

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