Life Kit - How to stock your medicine cabinet for cold and flu season

Episode Date: October 13, 2026

We can't prevent you from getting sick this year, but we can help you prepare. In this episode, we talk to a doctor and a pharmacist about their medicine cabinet must-haves, how to read medicine labels, and when to treat an illness at home or see a doctor.Follow us on Instagram: @nprlifekitSign up for our newsletter here.Have an episode idea or feedback you want to share? Email us at [e-mail] public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening and convenient playlists of popular help topics like personal finance, getting healthy, and more. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

So I was on the train today and this lady started coughing. And, you know, my first thought, of course, is she sick? Right? Like, you're like hoping she's choking, which sounds actually terrible. But maybe she just choked on her own spit or on some water or something. But then as she starts coughing more, you're like trying to diagnose it. Does it sound wet? Is it flemy?

You know? And like, do I have to get up? Can the germs travel that far? Right. Like is this a like, like can I just turn away situation? Is this like a move to a different, like move to a whole different train situation? I feel like I'd notice cold and flu season just by the number of coughs that I hear on the train in October. Yeah.

Yeah, that's a real thing. Well, you're listening to Life Kit. I'm Mariel Segarra and I'm talking to reporter Andy Tegro. Andy, what is it about this time of year? Why are we so susceptible to getting sick now? There's a lot of things working against us at the same time, Mariel. Let me introduce you to Dr. Mona Amin. She's a board-certified pediatrician and the host of the podcast, Peds, Doc Talk.

There's so many things that are happening in this time frame. The first one is that different viruses replicate in different climates. And then you add the fact that kids are back in school. And so when you put germs with germy little, kids together. It's like a nice little petri dish that everyone's just sharing the love. Nasty. I hate it. So what have you got for us? Do you have some tips? You can help me not get sick? Well, I'm going to do my best, Maryle. I'm going to do my best. In this episode of Life Kit, let's get you prepped for the cold and flu season as best we can. Mona will share all of her

must-haves for your medicine cabinet. We'll also talk to a pharmacist about reading late. and how to be smarter in the cold and flu aisle. And then we're going to wrap up with tips for understanding when to treat a sickness at home and when to go in to see a doctor. Here's hoping that this is all just good to know and you won't need any of it and you'll be illness-free. Crossing all of my fingers, all of my toes. That's hard to do. Takeaway one. As the weather turns colder, multiple factors can work against your immune system at once.

The very best medicine at your disposal is prevention. My goat, my greatest of all time, hack is saline. So like any time my nose is feeling dry, even if I'm not sick, I am squirting saline into those nostrils to help keep it moist, almost like the version of washing your hands, but for your nose. It's easier for viruses to attach to stick to you when your nose is dry. Yes. That being said, it's not a full stop. prevention, but it's one layer of that Swiss cheese model, which means adding different layers of the Swiss cheese to reduce the risk of, you know, getting an infection in the first place.

The idea here, if it's new to you, is that no method of prevention is perfect. They all have holes, but you can reduce your overall risk of getting sick by adding on more layers of protection. Like, so I mean, definitely you want to make sure that you're hand washing. This is Alicia Reed. a licensed pharmacist and health educator based in New Orleans. So, you know, like, they have a girl's girl. I consider myself a girl's pharmacist because I'm the pharmacist that's going to tell you whether or not something is worth buying.

I don't want you to get food by clever marketing. So I consider myself a girl's pharmacist. Together, Alicia and Mona are going to tag team to help get you and everyone in your family ready for this cold and blue season. Both say it's pretty simple. Just don't skip the basics. Hydration, fluid helps things move along, and also fluids help keep our throat moist. So things can't get into our mucous membranes in the throat that can cause viruses.

Proper nutrition. Getting fresh air is so healing. Getting sunshine is so healing. Vitamin D. All of this is so good for our immune system. And let's not forget about the biggie. Sleep. The two biggest things that cause illness,

It's lack of sleep and stress. When we're very high stress for a long period of time, viruses love us because we're considered a good host to replicate it. And of course, as a pharmacist, I'm always going to recommend up-to-date vaccinations. In particular for this conversation, your annual flu shot. According to the CDC, the ideal time to get a flu shot for most people is before the end of October, so that those antibodies have kicked in by the start of the season. But if this episode is finding you later than that, don't think you're off the hook. And that includes if you've already caught the flu, by the way.

In that case, current guidance says, wait until you've been symptom-free for two weeks before getting your shot. And yes, it's still worth it to do that, because there are a lot of different strains out there and a lot of other viruses that can have you running straight to your medicine cabinet. or recently online I saw this idea I really liked in the idea of prepping a sick box before you start sniffling or you have that tickle in your throat. I have actually a bag that has like pharmacist's survival kit. I definitely think that you should prepare ahead of time for cold and flu season and have things readily available so that you're not scrambling or depending on someone else to run to the drugstore for you when you become ill. And I do make sure it's very important to check it. So, you know, because it may be expired.

you may end up not use it in a while, so you want to go in and make sure that everything is up to date. That's a good point. What's the general shelf life over-the-counter medications? Well, they usually give like a year or two years, if you're looking at the expiration dates. I will say that that's the date that the company can guarantee the stability of the medication and guarantee that it's going to work. Anything beyond that, they're unsure of the stability. So I know some people still keep it and say, well, you know, it's probably still good. I don't want to waste my money, but I typically like to stay within the range of, you know, the expiration date. Right. So best practice, you want to take medication that is fresh that you know is guaranteed.

But if you accidentally take a Tylenol that's six months out of date, you're probably going to, you don't have to panic. Right. So let's get into it. Be it a box, a bag, a shelf. Get your shopping list ready because takeaway two is prep your sick day supplies before anyone in the house. house gets sick. So the first thing is you want a thermometer, which is very basic. For kids three and under, Mona says a rectal thermometer is your most accurate option. For everybody else, oral or digital infrared thermometers work just fine, although the latter may be slightly less accurate. Having that nasal saline is wonderful. If your child is younger, a bulb suction or a suctioning tool, but you don't need to go suctioning things. out if the saline is allowing everything to drip out. I have to have a pain reliever, a fever

reducer. Let's note, those are separate standalone meds. So ibuprofen and acetaminophen, for example. And kids' versions of those, too, of course, if needed. I also want to make sure I have something for my stomach. Most often, it may be over-the-counter heartburn medication, something for diarrhea. And then the other thing that is for stomach bugs is a vomit bag. And then instead of having to use your baking bowls, you can have this on the go. And then along those lines of vomiting is having something like pediolite, which can help with hydration. Also on the short list, an antihistamine. The best one is actually Zyrtec, which is satirazine, or Claritin, which is Liratidine.

Benadryl has actually fallen out of favor. That's because Benadryl's active ingredient, Diphonhydramine hydrochloride, can cause some adverse side effect. like hallucinations, and potential risks for chronic users. And other antihistamines are just as effective. If you just went, wait, what? Isn't an antihistamine the medicine I use for like dust or pollen in the spring? Yes, that's right. Colds and allergies have similar symptoms.

Sneezing, runny noses, watery eyes. And antihistamines can help out with all of those things. Some are more effective than others. and as Mona alluded to, providers will favor some over others. In the case of Benadryl, it's been shown to cause more side effects than other similar products. So always talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions. Next on the list, a few other good to haves like chest rub. Which is eucalyptus in it.

This is a homeopathic remedy. There's not a lot of research behind it. However, I swear by it. A lot of families love it. Another favorite homeopathic remedy? Honey. What honey does is that it's an anti-inflammatory, which helps with the inflammation that happens from viruses, but it also helps with coating the throat. Honey is the goat over the age of one for cough and cold.

It's actually been shown to be even better than coughing cold syrups. And the reason we don't give it under one is a risk of botulism toxin. But over one, you can either give it in a syringe. It might be a little thick to pull up or just in a tablespoon that they, They can eat directly or you can mix it in warm water or warm milk. And then a humidifier is something that I definitely make sure that I have invested in for cold and flu season. Now, you might have noticed a few exceptions from this list. For one, combination cold and flu meds.

That's because those are a little less straightforward, bringing us to takeaway three. Less is more. Read your labels, opt for simple ingredients, and only take the medications you actually need. The number one thing that I tell anyone is when you are looking at an over-conduct medication, make sure that it has the ingredient that you are looking for. Alicia says around this time of year, everyone's running to the drugstore for cough syrup. But few stop to read the back of the box.

And that's a really important thing to do. Because nine times out of ten, it's a lot of things you don't even need. Right, and there's a hundred different to choose from. I have no idea where to start. Right. So first and foremost, you want to know what you're looking for and treat the symptom. For instance, if you have a dry cough and only a dry cough, you only need a cough suppressant. So you want to look for something with dextramothorphan in it.

That's it. That's basically the DM, right? So when you see a DM, but just to turn the box over because there's all types of cough medications, you know, a lot of people, they end up buying more things than they need and they end up taking more than they need. when, you know, you really should just pay attention to the ingredients. If you have a wet cough, meaning you have mucus in your chest that needs to be broken up. That's where you get guicin. But one very interesting caveat, in fact, is water is actually a natural expectorant. Like, you can actually help break up mucus by staying hydrated.

And this is why it's so important to actually read the ingredients and understand what they do. Alicia referenced this one popular cough syrup. for example, that has both a cough suppressant and an expectorant. Some people, you know, end up wanting to buy the guicinacin, and they use that because that's going to break up the mucus, so you're going to cough. And a lot of times people don't realize that if you're taking something to stop the cough and something to break up the mucus, then it's working against each other. And the same goes for those combination cold and flu meds.

So you may be taking a day quill and then taking a daytime allergy sinus something, right? you don't want to take too much of something, whether it be nasal decongestine or anihistamine. I rarely have a multi-s symptom anything at home because I want to treat the actual symptom and not just a combination of things. Most often you don't need all of that. And you also want to make sure that you're not double dipping in terms of pain relievers. There's a lot of cases where someone may be prescribed a liquid pain medication. and then they have Tylenol at home. And then you're telling them, wait a minute, this pain medication already has Tylenol.

So you may end up doubling on ingredients. Remember, just because a medicine is available over the counter, that doesn't mean it's risk-free. OTC meds have different dosage and usage restrictions for good reason. A lot of people aren't aware that excessive amounts of Tylenol can lead to liver toxicity. The insides, which are like the ibuprofins, you can have ulcers. You know, it can affect your kidney function. So that's more of the focus there, just trying to make sure that, you know, if you reach for something, you genuinely, you know, you really need it. And this is extra important to be aware of if you have any chronic health conditions, like diabetes or high blood pressure.

Not all meds will be safe for all people. After the break, we'll talk about those immunity boosting supplements in the cold and flu aisle. You're listening to Life Kit. Next up, those supplemental cold and flu remedies people love. I'd love to hear your thoughts on things like airborne emergencies, ICAMS. I know that people swear by them, but I know they're not regulated in the same way as OTC meds. So you said it already that many of them, mostly all of them, are not FDA approved. What that means is they can enter the market as a supplement and they have not had to do official testing.

Now, that doesn't mean that they're completely unsafe. It just means that the company does their own testing. and has deemed it appropriate to put on market. Like, zinc actually does have some evidence that it can shorten the duration of a cold, but you have to start it, like, almost immediately, right? But some people actually take zinc year-round, right, as a part of their vitamin supplements, right, in addition to vitamin C. But the answer isn't just taking more vitamins.

Your body can only absorb what it can absorb. And it's very expensive. You have very expensive urine. So I think that's a takeaway that I have for a lot of people. You know, make sure you're not overdoing it. You just want to make sure that you're doing your best to stay healthy. So let's say it again for good measure. Prevention is the very best medicine.

But if or when that pesky seasonal bug catches you, let's move on to Takeaway 4. Learn when it's time to wait it out and when it's time to worry. It's really kind of important to know, is this a virus that I can manage at home, or is this something that I need to go in for? According to the CDC, a common cold usually lasts less than a week. Though it's not unusual for some symptoms like a runny nose or wet cough to stick around for 10 to 14 days.

A flu, if uncomplicated, can pass through your system in as little as a few days or as long as a few weeks. I know. It's a pretty big window. So, when should you worry? You always want to make sure that your symptoms are improving. If your symptoms are worsening, that's when you call the doctor. If you're finding that you're having to give medication around the clock, that is when it becomes, let me go see a doctor. Generally speaking, us grown-ups know when something is really off, right? When we have new or severe symptoms, especially in localized parts of the body, like sudden fever and a sore throat, difficulty swallowing.

It's not hard to make the call that it's probably time to call your doctor. But when the source of your sickness isn't so obvious like that, or for the littlest members of your family, finding that line can be harder, more anxiety-inducing, especially when it comes to fevers. Monu says she's seen a lot of worried parents come into the ER unnecessarily because many fevers can be managed at home. When you need to go take a kid for a fever would be if they're under three months of age. And if your child's over three months, you are watching the following. Breathing, hydration, and behavior. First up, breathing. If they are breathing comfortably, you don't have to be concerned about that fever.

Next, hydration. If they are drinking, their breast milk formula, the liquids they're normally drinking, making pee, you don't have to be concerned about that fever. Finally, behavior. If you give them a medicine, super cranky, the fever's not budging, you can't get them comfortable. That's a sign that maybe we should see them. Now, for older kids and adults, guidance from the National Library of Medicine recommends to seek treatment if you've had a fever continuously for two to three days, or if you've had fevers come and go for up to a week or more, even if they're low grade. In that time frame of the fever persistence, you are dealing with anything I mentioned, dehydration, difficulty breathing, or you are so uncomfortable and Motrin or Talon are not helping. Also of note, if you're really starting to burn up, like according to Harvard Health, if your temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit or more, it's time to call it in.

And remember, that behavior standard can be a really big bucket for adults. Think loss of consciousness or confusion. So if you're experiencing discomfort or you're just unsure about what's going on in your body, it's never a bad idea to talk to your care provider. So, as ever, use your best judgment. Like if you have a cold and you're having really thick green mucus and a fever for three days worth getting checked out. If it's just green mucus, but no fever, not needed, right? Because then we're not worried about a sinusitis, which is an infection of the sinuses.

Vomiting. If you're not able to keep anything down, right? Like you are vomiting and you vomit 15 minutes later, you take a sip of a liquid, like a little sip. You're not able to keep that down. For your child or yourself, that is a sign that we want to know because we need to make sure that you're not getting to dehydrate to the point that you need IV fluids or maybe a medication like Zophran that can help with nausea.

Final thoughts? Anything you wish I asked you, any other advice for us as we head into cold and flu season? One thing I'd like to leave your listeners with is that in life, we want to control everything, but we can't. So when your child gets sick, don't blame yourself. And don't be afraid to call your doctor or talk to a pharmacist about what's going on. I think that we're all making through cold and flu season if we just ask the right questions, take care of ourselves, and just listen to our body. All right, let's recap. Takeaway one.

Cold and blue season is coming for you. Prevention is the best medicine, so don't skip the basics. Takeaway two, you want to build that sick box before you need it. We all know just how little fun it is to drag yourself to the pharmacy at 10 p.m. when you've been hit by the flu. Takeaway three. Only take the medications you actually need. Keep them simple whenever you can to avoid unnecessarily over-medicating yourself.

And that will require reading your labels. Finally, takeaway four, many viruses, many fevers can be treated at home. But it's important to know when it's time to consult your care provider. So remember, Monis 3 rules. rules as a starting point. Breathing, behavior, hydration. When in doubt, just ask. All right, that's our show. One more thing before we go. Do you follow Life Kit in your podcast app? Would you do it now? Tap follow so you never miss an episode. This episode of Life Kit was reported by Andy Tagle and produced by Lennon Sherburn and Claire Marie

Schneider. It was edited by Sylvie Douglas. Our digital editor is Malika Garib and our visuals editor is C.J. Rican Cain is our senior supervising editor, and Lauren Gonzalez is our executive producer. Our production team also includes Margaret Serino, fact-checking by Andrea Lopez-Cruzado. I'm Mariel Segarra. Thanks for listening.