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Related Experiment Videos

Antihistamines for the common cold.

A I M Sutter, M Lemiengre, H Campbell

    The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
    |August 15, 2003
    PubMed
    Summary

    Antihistamines do not effectively treat common cold symptoms like congestion or runny nose in children or adults. First-generation antihistamines may slightly reduce sneezing and rhinorrhea but increase sedation, with unclear clinical significance for combined therapies.

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    Area of Science:

    • Pharmacology
    • Infectious Diseases
    • Clinical Trials

    Background:

    • Antihistamines are widely prescribed for the common cold.
    • Evidence supporting their efficacy in treating cold symptoms is limited.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To evaluate the effectiveness of antihistamines in alleviating nasal symptoms of the common cold.
    • To determine if antihistamines shorten the duration of illness.

    Main Methods:

    • Systematic review of randomized, placebo-controlled trials.
    • Searched multiple databases (Cochrane, EMBASE, MEDLINE) up to 2003.
    • Included trials on antihistamines used alone or in combination for adults and children.

    Main Results:

    • No significant clinical effect of antihistamines in monotherapy on general recovery in children or adults.
    • First-generation antihistamines showed a minor effect on rhinorrhea and sneezing, but increased side effects like sedation.
    • Combination antihistamines with decongestants were ineffective in young children but showed potential benefits in older children and adults, though clinical significance remains unclear.

    Conclusions:

    • Antihistamines alone do not clinically improve common cold symptoms or recovery in children and adults.
    • First-generation antihistamines increase side effects, particularly sedation.
    • Combined antihistamine-decongestant therapies show potential benefits in older individuals, but require further investigation for clinical significance.

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