Test Your Knowledge

Patients of all ages should tell their physician about any illness or allergies before taking cold medications. In addition, certain medical conditions (many of them more common in adults) may preclude the use of cold medications. These include:

• Anemia (reduced levels of red blood cells)
  
  
• Diabetes mellitus
  
  
• Enlarged prostate or urinary tract blockage
  
  
• Glaucoma (disease that causes increased pressure in the eye)
  
  
• Gout (uric acid build-up in a joint)
  
  
• Heart or blood vessel disease
  
  
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
  
  
• Kidney disease
  
  
• Liver disease
  
  
• Portal hypertension (rare lung disorder in which blood pressure in the pulmonary artery rises far above normal)
  
  
• Thyroid disease