Sometimes, A Cold is Just a Cold Americans down a huge number allergy medications than ever. That s the word from Ohio State University s Dr. Sheryl Szeinback, who studied 265 people who were taking prescription allergy medicine. She found that a 65 percent of those patients did not suffer from allergies, but rather from colds or other minor ailments like sinusitis and rhinitis. So that little escape route is eliminated, unfortunately for doctors, who have been known to write prescriptions just to keep patients happy, and pharmaceutical companies. Americans love medicine.
Doctors are quick to point out that patients themselves often demand allergy drugs by name.
Heaven knows that image is certainly tough to resist. But maybe we should. Sure, we can take allergy medication and feel that we re doing something, meanwhile suffering not only from continuing symptoms but also from a long list of unpleasant side effects. Toss aside those medications, confront our perpetually weepy eyes and snotty noses and figure out what s actually causing our immune systems to flare up. Call it a national journey into the heart of phlegm.