How to choose the right over the counter flu medication for you

14 October 2024

Each year, around a billion cases of seasonal flu are diagnosed, placing it among the most commonly diagnosed. With numerous over-the-counter flu medications available, choosing the right one can be challenging, but they all aim for the same result—relief.

The magnitude of the products available can make it challenging to know which medication is the best. To help you better understand the options available, we have broken down the three most common kinds of over the counter flu medications. By understanding how each of these medications works you can make the best decision for your symptoms.  

Secretolytics

Secretolytics, such as Sinupret, are a class of over-the-counter flu medicine that thins mucus, assisting your body in its natural removal process. Mucus is incredibly important to the functioning of your airways, keeping them hydrated and humidifying the air you breathe. It also plays an important role in protecting your body from pathogens, trapping them, and clearing them out through either your mouth or nose.

During this pathogen-removal process, your body produces excess mucus to combat the disease or irritant. This mucus often becomes thick and sticky, making it hard for the body to remove and leading to problems like sinusitis, post-nasal drip, and congestion. Secretolytics help combat this problem, loosening the mucus and helping the cilia, tiny hairs in your airways, remove the excess mucus.

Although secretolytics may appear to make symptoms like a runny nose worse initially, this is just a sign of the medication working. Unlike other medications that open airways by drying mucus, secretolytics remove the cause of the problem, draining the thick mucus along with the trapped pathogens from your system. Secretolytics also tend to have fewer side effects than other options and can be used for longer periods of time without any major concerns. However, it is always important to follow medical advice when taking any medication.


There is no one definitive answer to the question of which is the best over the counter flu medication in South Africa. Knowing your options is the best way to choose the right treatment for your symptoms. 

best over the counter flu medication south africa

Decongestants

Decongestants are a group of over the counter flu medications that include the well-known molecule pseudoephedrine. These medications can be split into two categories: topical nasal decongestants and systemic decongestants. These medications may have slightly different applications, but all work by reducing swelling in the blood vessels in your nasal passages, helping to open up the airways.

These medications may not help treat the cause of the flu and provide only short-term relief. However, they are very effective in opening up your airways, reducing the need to breathe through your mouth. While decongestants reduce swelling of the blood vessels, they do not help to clear the excess mucus. Rather, some decongestants tend to dry out the mucus, making clearance even more challenging and providing only short-term relief.

Decongestants also tend to have more side effects. Nasal decongestants can usually only be used for 3-4 consecutive days to avoid rebound swelling and systemic decongestants less than a week. It is important to note that these are just guidelines, and you should always follow the instructions of your doctor. 

 

Antibiotics

Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by bacteria. Since the flu is a viral infection, most medical professionals agree that antibiotics will have no impact on the viral flu infection. However, illness is rarely clear cut, and some viral infections can lead to secondary bacterial infection, particularly in the sinuses, throat, and lungs. In these cases, antibiotics may be prescribed by your doctor.

There is no one definitive answer to the question of which is the best over the counter flu medication in South Africa. However, secretolytics like Sinupret are the only class of medication that tackles the underlying cause and the symptoms. In addition to the usual benefits of a secretolytics, the Sinupret range also has the added advantage of being anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial, helping to reduce nasal swelling and the likelihood of secondary bacterial infections by stopping the growth of bad bacteria.

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