When you catch a common cold, you usually feel worse day after day, the symptoms of the infection (rhinitis, sore throat, fever, hoarseness, and conjunctivitis) become more and more intense and then you usually start wondering what medication to use in order to effectively fight the cold. It turns out that there are many proven home remedies for the common cold and effective combined products available over the counter in pharmacies. However, an antibiotic is not a good solution for treating the common cold.
A typical common cold, namely the infection of the upper respiratory tract, is caused by viruses (usually rhinoviruses). Fighting a common cold should consist, firstly, of treating the symptoms. We can eliminate the symptoms of the disease by using anti fever medications or medications which fight persistent rhinitis or coughing. In the case of the common cold, one should not use antibiotics! Antibiotics fight bacteria, while the common cold is a viral infection which antibiotics cannot cure.
Therefore, if the viral infection of the upper respiratory tract is not very severe, try treating yourself using over the counter medications available in pharmacies. Under no circumstances should you use antibiotics on your own to treat a regular, common cold in autumn.
