Most cold medicines 'useless’

Press, 9 February 1980, Page 7

Most cold medicines 'useless’

NZPA London A British consumer magazine has labelled most common brands of treatments for colds as useless. “Which" magazine, published by the Consumers' Association, surveyed nearly 300 preparations and concluded that only 24 of them were "worth trying."

Inhaling steam from a bowl of hot water and swallowing a couple of unbranded aspirin were just a* effective and certainly much cheaper, the report said. Sucking any boiled sweet would soothe the throat amuch as lozenges or cough sweets, and nasal sprays and drops could leave the patient more blocked up than before.

The survey found that antiseptics in mouth gargles had no effect on more than 100 viruses that can cause colds.

Other findings were that vitamin tablets did not help in treatments, and that there was little in favour of “blockbuster’.’ medicines which contained drugs to treat several symptoms, all of which were not present. The suggested treatments were:

Colds: stay in a warm, humid and well-ventilated room. Gargle with aspirin for a sore throat.

Influenza: go to bed. The magazine added there was no point in taking a cold to a doctor unless it showed no improvement in a week, or the symptoms became more serious than normal.

Cough suppressants did! seem'effective, but the re-t port suggested that complete[ cough prevention “would be[ dangerous.” i