The nasal drainage associated with colds can hasten dehydration, and some over-the-counter coldremedies containing antihistamines (many cough syrups, for instance) can dry you out further, Dr. Rosenbaum points out.
Add in the various over-the-counter remediesfor flatulence, constipation, diarrhoea, hay fever and the common cold, and the average American might seem to be a pill-popping hypochondriac.