Content about Symptoms

ATLANTA — For the week ended Nov. 20, influenza activity increased slightly across the Southeast while remaining relatively low throughout the rest of the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday.

A total of 11 states reported no influenza activity for the period, the CDC reported.

RHINEBECK, N.Y. Topical BioMedics on Thursday announced that its Topricin pain relief and healing cream has been awarded a patent as a treatment of pain associated with fibromyalgia. A Food and Drug Administration-regulated topical biomedicine, Topricin was introduced by the company in 1994, the company stated.

By all accounts, it’s been a very busy first half of the season for cough-cold manufacturers, even though the 52-week comparable period is only showing a 1.9% lift in overall sales across food, drug and mass (minus Walmart) for the period ended Jan. 24, according to Information Resources Inc. data. For the 2009-2010 season, the weekly percentage of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness peaked at the end of October 2009 at 7.7%, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. That peak was higher than the three previous influenza seasons as reported by the U.S.

NEW YORK Consumers can be expected to self-identify a cough, and even locate a cough remedy in the nonprescription aisles. But consumers cannot be expected to distinguish between dextromethorphan and guaifenesin necessarily. Both are indicated for cough relief, but work in entirely different ways. For that you need a readily accessible healthcare professional, such as the pharmacist or nurse practitioner.