Cough & Cold

First Defence - it really works!?

Advantages: does what it says on the tin
Disadvantages: Hurts if you administer it wrong!

"First defence" is an interesting concept. A nasal spray that is meant to keep colds at bay. How could that work? There is no cure for the common cold, so logically you can't prevent it either. Other than by eating healthy and staying inside and never having contact with other human beings. But alas, I'm not a hermit, neither are you either in all probability. I'll admit, this another one of those products my wife had bought and stuffed in the cupboard ...
...things like that. In our house, the cycle of illness is quite a common thing. Both my wife and I work in stuffy air conditioned offices where colds, bugs and flu's are regularly passed from person to person. Inevitably my wife seems to catch them first then is kind enough to give them to me. On the last occassion that occurred and I groaned "oh no, you're ill again? ill look forward to catching it." My wife rolled her eyes and produced this spray ...

AgeUK 21.10.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Vicks First Defence

"may help to reduce snoring"

Advantages: OH had a better nights sleep
Disadvantages: I could still hear him snoring!

I thought I would write this review from my point of view rather than my partner (who is the one using them). I have decided to do it this way because the way I see it, I am the one who truly knows whether or not they are working! My partner has snored for as long as I have known him, and while it hasn't been a major problem in the past, for some reason it has gotten worse over the past few weeks - to the point where it is driving me mad! I bought ...
...any sleep, lying awake next to my partner. I paid £5.98 for them - which I though was a bit pricey considering what they are. But I bought them thinking £5.98 is nothing if I get a good night sleep! Essentially all they look like is a plaster, only shaped to go over the nose. On the packaging they claim to pull open the nasal passages and encourage breathing through the nose rather than the mouth. They come in different sizes (although gives no explanation ...

Diamonds08 21.10.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Vicks Breathe Right Nasal Strips

Olbas Oil

Advantages: Cheap, seems to be working
Disadvantages: None

...bought him some tissues with Olbas oil in them and that I was looking after him through his illness. Well I, unlike him, and not on my death bed and do not need constant care, as all men do with man flu but I do need something to sort out my blocked nose. It’s so infuriating when you cannot breathe and so I really needed something that would unblock my stuffy nose. I have always used Vicks in the past but had heard that Olbas Oil might be a little ...
...decided to give the ordinary Olbas Oil a try. Olbas oil is an inhalant decongestant. According to their website Olbas is a special mixture of pure plant oils, with ingredients including clove oil, eucalyptus, juniper berry and cajuput. It's the combination of these natural ingredients which releases those famously soothing and relieving vapours. Olbas oil is very easy to use. Probably the most common way is to add a few drops to a tissue or hanky ...

Spottydog11 28.10.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Olbas Oil Inhalant Decongestant

Baby Nasal Decongester

Advantages: Baby can breathe more easily
Disadvantages: Pulling out long boogies!

...bulb, and was called the NUK Nasal Decongester. At the time I thought it was yet another consumer gimmick.....until my baby daughter had trouble breathing through a snotty nose at 2 months old. Obviously being at an age where I couldn't teach her to blow, I thought I'd give it a go. It's really useful once you get the hang of it. Obviously baby is going to wriggle around as soon as you gently hold it's head still and place something around it's nostril. ...
...be kind) but believe me it's worth persevering. The decongester has a wide nozzle which you gently hold to one nostril (it's wide enough so you can't accidentally insert it into the baby's nostril) and it's made of smooth plastic to prevent causing soreness, so it's really difficult to cause any harm to your little one. Directions: Squeeze rubber bulb (away from baby) and then gently hold nozzle to one nostril (do not insert the nozzle into baby's ...

Kerpots 24.02.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Nuk Nasal Decongester

Miracle Juice!

Advantages: It actually does what it says!
Disadvantages: The price varies depending on the type you buy!

...got me a box of Beechams All in One. When I opened the box I thought it was going to be a bottle with a dainty little plastic spoon, I was well wrong. To my surprise the contents were six 20ml plastic pouches with the medicine inside ready to take. So I took one straightway, I tore the tab from the top of the pouch and swallowed the contents. It tastes absolutely disgusting and to be honest nearly put me off from taking the rest which you're supposed ...
...a few your mouth does tend to adjust and you get to the stage where you just ignore it anyway. I was surprised at how quick it actually kicked in as other well known remedies such as Lemsip fails on me completely, to which I avoid that now. Intrigued I got the box and read the side of it. The main ingredient in this stuff is Paracetamol. Each dose contains a single dose equivalent to a single tablet. This helps in numbing the nerve endings around ...

Timbo3107 30.08.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Beechams All in One