Oral cold and cough medicine containing a popular decongestant was pulled from some U.S. pharmacy shelves this week. This comes after a panel of experts said phenylephrine is no better than a dummy pill at relieving congestion. But what actually works to treat cold symptoms? Family doctor and CBC Radio house doctor Dr. Peter Lin provides tips on how best to treat a cold or cough, and weighs in on popular home remedies. 

For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

What are the best ways to treat a cold?

A weekly look at the health news that matters to you. Dr. Brian Goldman brings you the best science from top experts in plain language. He cuts through the BS and confusion to give you a dose of smart advice that you won’t find anywhere else. New episodes every Thursday.

Health & Fitness

Canadians on average consume nearly half of their calories from ultra-processed foods. These are foods with added textures, colours and flavours that often contain high levels of salt, sugar and fat. Université de Montréal associate professor Jean-Claude Moubarac explains how ultra-processed foods can affect our physical and mental health, and how we can better tailor our diets.

How do ultra-processed foods affect my health?

While we tend to think rest is the key to recovering from an injury, physicians recommend keeping the body moving, if possible, but at a lower intensity. Sport medicine physician Dr. Laura Cruz explains why "motion is lotion" and provides some low-impact exercises that can help our bodies more easily recover.

How can I safely stay active while injured?

Amie Archibald-Varley and Sara Fung are registered nurses who advocate for better healthcare on The Gritty Nurse podcast. Now they’ve published a book called The Wisdom of Nurses: Stories of Grit from the Front Lines. They join host Dr. Brian Goldman for a chat about why nurses make incredible leaders, and how healthcare can improve when we listen to nurses.

The wisdom of the Gritty Nurses

H5N1 is in the news again, and this time it has spread to cattle in several U.S. states. It has even infected a dairy worker in Texas. Global health epidemiologist Raywat Deonandan explains how avian flu is spreading, how transmissible it is, what vaccines are available, and why we shouldn't be too worried just yet.

What's going on with H5N1 bird flu?

Timely access to dental care doesn't just help improve your oral hygiene, it can also help maintain your overall physical wellbeing. Canadian Dental Association president Heather Carr explains why a healthy mouth translates into a healthy body, and how we can best protect our oral health.

What are the best ways to treat a cold?

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