high blood pressure decongestants may make your blood pressure and heart rate rise. Reece says “Avoid decongestants such as pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine, and oxymetazoline if you have hypertension.”
Cough suppressants help relieve coughs. “These medications work to suppress your cough by blocking the cough reflex. Cough suppressants work best for a dry cough,” Avery says.
Expectorants help loosen mucus and work best for a productive cough. Avery says “Expectorants work by thinning out mucus and allowing mucus to clear our airways easily.”
Antihistamines help stop a runny nose and sneezing. During an allergic reaction, our bodies release histamine which causes allergy symptoms. “Antihistamines work to prevent the common allergy symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing, itching, etc. by decreasing the effects of histamine,” explains Avery.
Pain relievers can help ease fever, headaches, and minor aches. Avery says “Pain medications provide both pain relief from aches and pain associated with the flu as well as controlling body temperature to reduce fevers.” Examples include acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
For people with diabetes, Reece says acetaminophen is