Shorter days, falling leaves, and carved pumpkins mean that autumn is here and winter is around the corner. More importantly, flu and cold season is also on the way and if you’re not ready for it, you could end up taking more sick days off than you can afford.
Millions of people end up sick during this time of the year, and even with a simple cold, you can be out for 7 to 10 days according to the CDC. [1] If you consider that the average American adult gets three colds per year, [2] you might be out for almost a month total!
Besides a healthy diet and regular exercise, your priority should be to stock up on the best flu and cold medications beforehand. Here are the 5 top over-the-counter medications.
1. Mucinex Sinus-Max Max Strength, Day and Night
Price: $10.69 [4]
Best For:
– Congestion or runny nose
– Sneezing and coughs
– Sinus pressure and headaches
Congestion, trouble breathing and a headache caused by pressure in your sinuses are among the worst symptoms of the common cold. Luckily, two-pack cold medication Mucinex Sinus-Max Max Strength helps fight sinus pains with a daytime capsule, and the nighttime capsule soothes you into a resting sleep.
2. Vicks DayQuil Cold & Flu Multi-Symptom Relief
Price: $16.14 [3]
Best For:
– Sore throats and nasal congestion
– Light Coughs and headaches
– Fever and body aches
It doesn’t matter whether you have a common cold or flu because Vicks DayQuil Cold & Flu Multi-Symptom Relief treats both and gives you fast relief. This is formula comes from a trusted brand and won’t make you drowsy so it’s safe to take during the day.
3. Robitussin Maximum Strength Cough + Chest Congestion DM
Price: $11.96 [6]
Best For:
– Chest congestion
– Light and heavy coughing
– Loosening and thinning mucus
A nasty cold that causes lots of coughing and mucus is best treated with Robitussin Maximum Strength Cough + Chest Congestion DM. This medication breaks up settled mucus, it doesn’t make you drowsy, and this formula comes with a cough suppressant that’s guaranteed to bring your relief.
4. Tylenol Cold + Head
Price: $8.26 [7]
Best For:
– Fever, sore throat, and headaches
– Body aches and pains
– Congestion, sinus and head pressure
Tylenol Cold + Head is one of the best solutions to help ease painful common cold symptoms. This special formula is tailor-made for headaches, sinus pressure, sore throats, fevers, and body aches, so it can also help with flu symptoms.
5. Theraflu Multi-Symptom Severe Cold Relief
Price: $11.44 [5]
Best For:
– Sore throats and coughing
– Headaches and sinus congestion
– Fever and minor aches and pains
Theraflu is a powder that’s mixed with water into a tasty beverage to help combat frustrating cold and flu symptoms. Ingredients include honey, chamomile, lemon, and green tea and can even be taken preventatively when you think you’re coming down with something.
Stock up on Cold and Flu Season Medication Now
There’s nothing worse than catching a cold or flu and realizing you’re out of any medication that can help relieve the symptoms. Compare multiple medicines now to get the best ones and make sure you’re ready to fight off bad colds as fast as possible.
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/features/rhinoviruses/index.html
[2] https://www.cdc.gov/features/rhinoviruses/index.html
[3] https://www.amazon.com/Vicks-DayQuil-Multi-Symptom-Relief- LiquiCaps/dp/B005ZQP478/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=vicks+dayquil+multisymptom+relief&qid=1571334012&sr=8-1
[4] https://www.amazon.com/Mucinex-Sinus-Max-Strength-Night- Caplets/dp/B00AN5LA7E/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=Mucinex+Sinus-Max+Pressure+and+Pain+Caplets&qid=1571334319&sr=8-7
[5] https://www.amazon.com/Theraflu-MultiSymptom-Medicine-Nighttime-Packets/dp/B00E5G5DRU/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Theraflu+Multi- Symptom+Severe+Cold+Green+Tea+%26+Honey+Lemon&qid=1571334459&sr=8-2
[6] https://www.amazon.com/Robitussin-Max-Cough-Congestion- Ounce/dp/B0754MSM7H/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=Robitussin+Adult+Max+Strength+Cough%2BChest+Congestion+DM+Max&qid=1571334180&sr=8-5