Tissues
Oh, the shame. A study in 2012 by Harvard School of Public Health of five countries showed that Brits were the least likely to heed public health advice during the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic. Coughs and sneezes spread diseases, don’t you know, and doing both into a tissue cuts the risk of being over generous with your germs. As kids are more likely to pick up colds and spread them around the family than adults because their immune systems are less developed, it’s a good idea to get any snotty little brats to use a hanky (and throw it in the bin afterwards).
Soap
I’m not suggesting you eat this either. The Harvard survey included hand washing and we don’t do it enough, even though it cuts the risk of infection from colds and flu as well as the dreaded winter vomiting bug (norovirus). A government scientific adviser I know always washes her hands after she’s been on public transport, because touching surfaces that other people have infected and then touching your eyes or mouth is an open invitation to the bugs. (So is picking your nose, but she doesn’t do that.) When the season to be sick kicks in, schools beg parents not to send their children if they have the highly contagious norovirus and may even close them down. When I was little we all had to wash our hands before dinner time. (Incidentally, here's why GTG says bars of soap are back in the game .)
Bleach
You may feel like drinking this if you have been trapped for a week in a house where everyone is throwing up and rushing to the loo, but we’d suggest you don’t. It would be far more advisable to use a bleach-based cleaner to zap the norovirus bug, and particularly to disinfect surfaces.
Pain relief
There’s not much difference between the analgesics paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin for relieving the aches and pains that come with colds and flu, as well as arthritis - which can get worse during cold, wet spells. Paracetamol (the main ingredient in children’s Calpol) is also good at reducing high temperatures, while ibuprofen and aspirin are more likely to upset sensitive tummies. Paying for branded versions like Nurofen is pretty pointless - they cost far more than the generic versions on sale in shops and you are just paying for the shiny packaging and fancy adverts. If your head is really thumping and you can barely move, then you can alternate two kinds of pain relief as long as you don’t exceed the recommended daily dose - for example a couple of ibuprofen followed by a couple of paracetamol two hours later.
Decongestant
The Common Cold Centre at Cardiff University recommends nasal sprays with the ingredients xylometazoline or oxymetazoline for helping to unblock stuffed up noses. Cold viruses cause inflammation and swelling of the veins in our noses, causing the blocked up feeling, but decongestants constrict them. They can be particularly helpful if being bunged up stops you from sleeping, but are not recommended for children under six.
Menthol
This plant extract from the mint family doesn’t actually make you breathe more easily, but it stimulates the nervous system to create the feeling that you are. Try a few drops of an essential oil containing menthol on a cotton hanky, a pillow, or in a hot bath to help your little ones (and you) to feel clearer headed. When I was little we always had Vicks vapour rub to put on our chests at night when we had colds and coughs - remedies like this contain several oils which have a similar effect to menthol. One of my favourites is Olbas Oil which costs about £2-£3 pounds for a little bottle that lasts for ages. It can also be used as a rub to relax aching muscles. Menthol has mild analgesic (pain relieving) properties, too, which is why it is used in throat sweets.