Cold and Flu Relief: Easing Symptoms at Home in the UAE

For most people, cold and flu relief comes down to rest, plenty of fluids and a few simple pharmacy products that ease fever, aches, a sore throat, a cough and a blocked nose while your body fights off the virus. Most colds and flu get better on their own within one to two weeks, but some people need to see a doctor, so it helps to know the warning signs.

Here is how to tell a cold from flu, what helps at home and when to get advice.

Cold or flu? How the symptoms differ

Both are caused by viruses, and they share many symptoms. The main differences are how quickly they start and how unwell you feel.

• A cold comes on gradually and mainly affects your nose and throat: sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, a sore throat and a mild cough.
• Flu comes on quickly. Common flu symptoms include a sudden high temperature, an aching body, exhaustion, headache, chills and a dry cough. Many people feel too unwell to work.

Flu can sometimes lead to chest infections, especially in older adults, pregnant women, young children and people with long-term conditions.

Why colds and flu are common in the cooler months

These viruses spread through droplets when people cough, sneeze or talk, and on hands and surfaces. From autumn into winter in the UAE, schools, offices and family gatherings bring people close together, and holiday travel is busy. Air-conditioned rooms can also feel dry, which may make a sore throat or blocked nose more uncomfortable, although air conditioning itself does not cause colds or flu.

Washing your hands often, catching coughs and sneezes in a tissue, and staying home when you are unwell all help to reduce the spread.

Cold and flu relief at home: start with the basics

• Rest and sleep, especially with flu.
• Drink plenty of fluids such as water, warm drinks and soups. A fever makes you lose more fluid.
• Try warm drinks with honey and lemon to soothe a sore throat and cough in adults and children over 1 year old. Never give honey to babies under 1 year.
• Stay home while you have a high temperature or feel too unwell for normal activities.

Fever and aches: paracetamol and combination products

Paracetamol can help bring down a fever and ease headaches and body aches. Many combination cold and flu tablets also contain paracetamol, sometimes with a decongestant for a blocked nose.

Do not take two products that both contain paracetamol, for example a cold and flu tablet as well as plain paracetamol. Check the ingredients on every pack and never take more than the pack says. Read the leaflet before use.

Tablets with a decongestant are not suitable for everyone, including people with high blood pressure or heart problems, and during pregnancy. If this applies to you, or you take other medicines, ask our pharmacist first.

Blocked nose relief

Seawater and saline (salt water) nasal sprays rinse the inside of the nose and help loosen mucus so it is easier to clear. They do not contain a medicine. Sprays labelled hypertonic are saltier than the body's own fluids and are designed to help ease a stuffy nose.

Cough: dry or chesty?

A cough is often the last symptom to go and can linger for a few weeks. A dry cough is tickly and brings up no phlegm. A chesty cough brings up phlegm (mucus) and can feel heavy in your chest.

For a chesty cough, choose a product made to loosen mucus, such as an ivy leaf herbal medicine or a mucolytic, which thins thick, sticky mucus so it is easier to cough up. A dry cough needs a different product, and some cough medicines should not be combined, so tell our pharmacist which type you have.

Sore throat relief

• Sip warm or cool drinks and choose soft foods.
• Adults can gargle with warm salty water. This is not suitable for children.
• Suck a lozenge, but do not give young children anything small and hard to suck because of the risk of choking.

Vitamin C and the immune system

Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Your body cannot make or store it, so you need some every day from foods such as citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries, peppers and broccoli. A supplement can be a convenient top-up if your diet is limited, but it is not a treatment for colds or flu. Do not take more than the pack says, as large amounts can upset your stomach.

Antibiotics and the yearly flu vaccine

Colds and flu are caused by viruses, and antibiotics do not work against viruses. Taking antibiotics you do not need will not help you feel better and can cause side effects.

Flu viruses change over time, so the flu vaccine is updated every year. Ask your doctor or pharmacist whether the yearly flu vaccine is right for you, especially if you are pregnant, an older adult or have a long-term condition.

Children: use medicines made for their age

• Only use products made for children, and check the pack says it suits your child's age.
• Follow the dose on the pack, using the measuring spoon or syringe provided.
• Never give aspirin to children under 16 unless a doctor advises it.

Many adult cold and cough products, including some below, are not suitable for children. If you are unsure, ask our pharmacist.

Cold and flu products at Bait Al Dawaa Pharmacy

Choose the product that matches your main symptom.

• Panadol Cold + Flu Day: non-drowsy daytime caplets with paracetamol, for relief of cold and flu symptoms such as fever, headache and muscle aches.
• Prospan Oral Liquid Sticks: a herbal ivy leaf cough medicine in single-dose sticks, for relief of chesty cough by helping to loosen mucus.
• ACC Powder for Oral Solution sachets: acetylcysteine powder you dissolve in water, which thins thick mucus to relieve a chesty cough.
• Chloraseptic Sore Throat lozenges, green tea: for temporary relief of sore throat pain and irritation.
• Isomar Nose Deco Spray with Hyaluronic Acid: a hypertonic seawater spray that helps clear a blocked nose, with hyaluronic acid to help keep the nose moist.
• Redoxon Effervescent Orange: fizzy vitamin C tablets for adults. Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system.

Read the leaflet before use. You can find more in our over-the-counter medicines range, and our pharmacist can help you choose.

When to see a doctor or ask our pharmacist

Get urgent medical help, at an emergency department or by calling 998 for an ambulance, if there is:

• difficulty breathing or chest pain
• a stiff neck, confusion, or a rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass
• a baby under 3 months with a temperature of 38°C or higher

See a doctor soon, or ask our pharmacist, if:

• a high fever does not come down, or symptoms get worse
• a cold or cough lasts more than three weeks
• a baby or young child has a fever
• you are pregnant, an older adult, have a weakened immune system, or have a long-term condition such as diabetes, asthma, or heart or lung disease
• you notice signs of dehydration, such as passing little or dark urine, dizziness, or fewer wet nappies (diapers) in a baby

Frequently asked questions

How long does a cold or flu last?

Colds usually get better within one to two weeks and flu often within about a week, although tiredness and a cough can linger. See a doctor if you are getting worse.

Can I take a cold and flu tablet with paracetamol?

Not if the cold and flu tablet already contains paracetamol, as many do. Check every pack and read the leaflet before use.

Which cough product do I need?

If your cough brings up phlegm, it is chesty and a mucus-loosening product may help. A tickly cough with no phlegm is dry and needs a different product. Our pharmacist can help.

Should I take vitamin C when I have a cold?

Most people get enough vitamin C from a varied diet. A supplement can be a convenient top-up, but it is not a treatment for colds or flu.

This article is general information, not medical advice. For advice about your own health, speak to your doctor or ask our pharmacist at Bait Al Dawaa Pharmacy.