Collegiate Times

Sharing personal items is also a big no-no. Don?t share your friend?s glass when you go downtown for a meal or to the bar. Also, don?t share a water bottle when you go to the gym; take your own and just politely say ?no? if someone wants a sip. All sharing of personal items should be kept to a minimum or be practically non-existent, even if you and your friends don?t seem to be sick.

So what do you do if you?re already sick? Standing in the aisle of CVS, Kroger or RiteAid trying to pick over-the-counter remedies can be a very daunting experience. Choosing between Tylenol and Sudafed, night or day, tablet or liquid, pharmacist-recommended or all natural: who can tell the difference now a days?

George Mauney, a Kroger pharmacist, helps his customers when they have a question about what to buy. Mauney will guide people in the right direction when they come in looking for something they saw on TV, but when he hears their symptoms, he can tell them what will really help them get better. He recommends Claritin for colds. ?It doesn?t make you drowsy, and it dries up the drainage,? he said.

Mucinex DM will also help if you have chest or head congestion and/or cough, he said.

?Robitussin and Mucinex DM are the same thing, just Robitussin is a once-a- day liquid supplement, and Mucinex is a tablet that you would take twice a day,? he said.

Mauney said he hasn?t seen a lot of colds yet, but says they?re likely to come soon. ?With students traveling up the east coast on the long weekend, they bring back bugs that usually start the cold season,? he said.

Mauney?s last bit of advice was to, ?Take medicine for seven days, and you?ll get over your cold, but if you take nothing, you?ll get over it in seven days.? This suggests that medicine won?t cure you, but it can relieve annoying symptoms.

So whether you?ve already caught the bug, or you?re going strong, hopefully these tips will work to your advantage.

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