The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that from 2010- 2023, American adults contended with up to 41 million cases of the flu annually. And that’s overshadowed by the 1 billion colds that people suffer every year.

No wonder Americans are dedicated to taking over-the-counter congestion fighters.

But it turns out some of them have a “decongestant” ingredient that actually doesn’t work, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing it be banned in products such as Sudafed PE and Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion.

The ingredient is called phenylephrine.

You do not want to confuse it with pseudoephedrine, which is an effective decongestant. However, that isn’t recommended for anyone with heart disease or high blood pressure, and that’s millions of people.

What are your safe, effective alternatives?

You can open your nasal passages using heart-safe antihistamines (ask your doctor for a recommendation), some nasal sprays (for use short-term only), steamy showers, essential oils such as rosemary rubbed on your chest, and even chicken soup.

Elderberry can significantly reduce the severity of colds and shorten their duration — and it helps control flu symptoms. The suggested dose is 600-900 mg per day.

Zinc acetate lozenges were found to be effective in both a 2016 study that appeared in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and a 2017 study in the journal of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

But do not take zinc continually; too much can become toxic.