20 Myths and facts about cold and flu

Over The Counter (OTC) cold and cough medicines will cure a cold faster.

The bad news is, they won’t. In fact, especially in younger kids, cold medicines can actually make things worse by masking symptoms or having unwanted side effects. Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Motrin (ibuprofen) can help bring a fever down and make a child more comfortable, but they won’t make them better faster. Cough and cold medicines may take the edge off of older kids’ symptoms, but they won’t make them better faster.