Flonase(fluticasone) does not work for the common cold.
This article discusses when to use Flonase and how to treat allergies and colds.
Antihistamines can also work very well for allergy symptoms.
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Viral infections cause inflammationbut it’s different than allergic inflammation.
Nasal corticosteroids may help reduce this inflammation but they’re not expressly indicated for this reason.
Several medical studies have investigated the use of corticosteroids to treat cold symptoms.
Studies have found that physical interventions such as handwashing are beneficial when you have a cold.
A review of eight studies found handwashing decreased respiratory diseases such as colds by 16%21%.
Nasal decongestant sprays may also help relieve nasal congestion and pressure.Look for products that listoxymetazolineas the active ingredient.
Brands include Afrin, Dristan, Mucinex, and Zicam.
Additionally,zinc supplementsmay help shorten the length of a cold.
Oralantihistaminesalso don’t help with cold symptoms.
Instead, use OTC cough and cold medicines and pain relievers to treat cold symptoms.
If OTC products aren’t treating your symptoms, contact your healthcare provider for further treatment options.
Fowler J, Rotenberg BW, Sowerby LJ.The subtle nuances of intranasal corticosteroids.
J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.
2015;(10):CD008116.
2021 Mar;9(5):395. doi: 10.21037/atm-20-6005
Medline Plus.Oxymetazoline nasal spray.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev.
2015 Nov 29;2015(11):CD009345.
doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009345.pub2
American Academy of Pediatrics.Is It Allergies or a Cold?
How to Tell the Difference.
