RESPIRATORY ILLNESS Stuffed up? Home remedies abound

Chicken soup and elderberry are two natural ways to ease symptoms.
By ERIKA HOBBS
BALTIMORE SUN
Scientists may never cure the flu or the common cold, but relief is closer than you think.
As the winter cold and flu season approaches, new remedies and spins on old favorites promise comfort and convenience in products ranging from a nasal vaccine and neti pots to chicken soup and elderberry.
And despite the dizzying number of products already on the market, each year manufacturers develop more new remedies, said Magaly Rodriguez de Bittner, a University of Maryland School of Pharmacy associate professor.
"It's easy to get confused," Rodriguez de Bittner said. "There are more than 100,000 over-the-counter drugs out there." And that doesn't count the many alternative and natural products available.
New vaccine
New this year is a needle-less flu vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration last June. FluMist, a nasal spray that contains a weakened live virus, is available for people age 5 to 49. The $60 price tag is not covered by insurance.
The vaccine appears to be effective against influenza, according to University of Maryland pediatrics professor James King, who helped test the vaccine, which was developed by MedImmune Inc., a Gaithersburg, Md.-based company.
The best part may be that FluMist causes no tears. "Maybe kids squinch up their noses a bit, but that's it," King said.
King also recommends sticking with time-tested flu fighters, such as pain relievers (other than aspirin, to avoid the risk of Reye's Syndrome) to knock out fever, and drinking plenty of fluids.
"You can take therapies like Alka-Seltzer Cold and Flu, but it's probably a little more helpful and a lot cheaper to just take acetaminophen," he said.
Tylenol twist
Tylenol recently streamlined an old product and gave it a new twist: It packaged its separate day and night cold medicine formulas in a single sun- and moon-themed "convenience" pack.
And Robitussin found a new way to make its medicine go down easier. CoughGels -- soft capsules taken without water -- are said to tame coughs for up to eight hours. A bottle of 20 sells for about $6.
Kiss My Face, an organic beauty company, has just introduced a line of flu products, including Cold & amp; Flu Room Spray ($9) and Cold & amp; Flu Bath Gel ($9) with essential oils of eucalyptus and fennel.
In January, spa-products giant Bath & amp; Body Works plans to add new aromatherapy remedies that go beyond the company's standard bubble bath and hand lotions. The new products, including a eucalyptus chest rub, are designed to comfort cold and flu sufferers.
"Customers are telling us we need to have aromatherapy," spokeswoman Barbara Jorgensen said.
Elderberry recommended
For a natural healing approach, naturopath Paul Faust of Towson, Md., recommends elderberry elixirs. He said the berries contain a flavonoid, or plant substance, called quercetin, which appears to inhibit the influenza virus and may shorten an infection.
Sambucol, a popular brand of elderberry elixir, as well as other elderberry syrups, can be found at most health food and online drugstores for about $4 a bottle.
Ricola now makes Vitamin C drops -- another therapy Faust recommends -- with elderberry extract. A bag of the tart lozenges costs about $1.50 at most drugstores.
Zicam, a 3-year-old homeopathic zinc remedy touted to reduce a cold's severity, offers products designed to be taken without water. The mint-flavored oral spray and cherry-flavored chewable and dissolvable tablets cost as much as $12.99 a box.
At Gaiam, a natural-care products company, customers are buying new eucalyptus Naturopatches. The small discs, imbued with essential oils, adhere to the skin to relieve coughs and colds.
According to Gaiam's Trish Feeney, sales of neti pots, which look like mini-Aladdin's lamps and are used to irrigate sinuses, have skyrocketed and are among the company's best sellers. Today's yoga set is clamoring for them, Feeney said.
Chicken soup
Even mom's favorite remedy has garnered new support. Many doctors have returned to recommending chicken soup to help ease cold and flu symptoms, not only for the comfort factor but because it helps with fluid intake.
"Not all the time do you need an over-the-counter drug," Rodriguez de Bittner said. "Do what makes you comfortable."
Meanwhile, Progresso has introduced a "Rich and Hearty" line with two new soups: Chicken Pot Pie and Chicken and Homestyle Noodles. Maybe it's just what the doctor ordered.