Can medications relieve symptoms of a sore throat with a cold?
Over-the-counter cold medications may relieve cold and sore throat symptoms. However, the benefits of these medications are minimal. Some cold medications include the following: • Pain relievers, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, to relieve the aches and pains of a cold and sore throat. ( Aspirin should not be given to children under the age of 18 because of its link to Reye’s syndrome, a disorder that mostly affects children 4 to 12 years old and causes brain damage and death.) • Sore throat sprays and lozenges to soothe your throat and numb the throat pain temporarily. • Decongestant nasal sprays to relieve a sore throat caused by postnasal drip — nasal drainage that runs down your throat. (Be sure to stop using nasal decongestant sprays after 3 days, or you may have an increase in congestion when you stop them.) Antibiotics should not be used to treat a cold virus and sore throat. Antibiotics are effective only against bacteria. They will not work on sore throats associated with
