At this time of year there's plenty of merriment going around, but as well as festive cheer, an unpleasant lurgy is also being spread, with many people currently suffering from what has been dubbed 'the worst ever' winter bug.
If you too are feeling under the weather, then you might be sending someone out for reinforcements in the form of medicine.
Many people when sick will add branded medicine to their shopping baskets, but an expert has revealed that you don't necessarily need to splash the cash on pricier products.
This is because certain supermarket and pharmacy own-brand items are actually the same as more expensive versions.
Abbas Kanani, the superintendent pharmacist at Chemist Click, told The Mirror how the cheaper own-brand versions feature the same ingredients and that it's just a trick of marketing that causes us to spend more money on pricier ones we don't need.
Because we are more aware of the big-name brands, we are likely to think them more reputable and better for us, however, the expert says this is all down to 'the power of marketing' and 'brand awareness'.
He said: "A lot of the big corporates do their own versions [of cold and flu medicine] so if you go to Boots or Superdrug and you pick up their cold and flu remedies and then pick up a Lemsip Max or any of the brands and you compare the ingredients, they're going to be exactly the same.
"You don't need the most expensive ones, that's just the power of marketing and brand awareness."
As well as this, he also shared the ingredients to look out for in medicines that will help provide relief for specific cold and flu symptoms.
There are three types of ingredients that can make a real difference, depending on how you're feeling - the first is a decongestant (also known as a vasoconstrictor) for if you have a blocked nose, the second is a cough expectorant for mucus coughs and the third is a cough suppressant for dry, tickly coughs.
An example of a vasoconstrictor would be Phenylephrine Hydrochloride which helps to reduce the swelling of blood vessels in your nose and relieve nasal congestion.
Next is Guaifensensin, which is an expectorant, and according to Abbas this "helps cough out phlegm from the airways".
He explained: "Another ingredient for your dry, tickly cough is a cough suppressant like Dextromethorphan, and this works in the opposite way to Guaifensensin. It helps to suppress the cough reflex."
So once you have an idea of what you're looking for, you can then pick out ingredients like these on medicine packets to compare what's in the own-brand and expensive versions.
For instance, Lemsip Max Cold & Flu capsules contain paracetamol which will help bring down your temperature if you have a fever, as well as Phenylephrine Hydrochloride and caffeine to help reduce fatigue and drowsiness.
A box of 16 Lemsip capsules from Boots currently costs £.4.50, however you could save yourself £1.51 if you instead looked at an own-brand product in Boots instead.
The Boots Pharmaceuticals Max Strength Sinus Pressure & Pain Relief capsules also contain the same three active ingredients - paracetamol, Phenylephrine Hydrochloride and caffeine.
However, these are cheaper and priced at £2.99 for a box.
As well as finding similar products for a lower price, there's also a well-known trick Martin Lewis previously shared to find identical medical products.
During an appearance on ITV's This Morning, he explained how each box is printed with a PL code, which is a unique licence number given to a particular drug by a manufacturer.
He said that if you compare the PL codes on a more expensive box and a cheaper box, and they are the same - then the pills inside are also exactly the same.
"If they have an identical PL code, which is on the back of the packet, they are the same tablet. Not the same active ingredient, the same tablet."
Always be sure to check the information leaflet before taking any medication to ensure it's safe for you to consume as certain ingredients aren't suitable for some.
Abbas added: "If you're pregnant, you can take paracetamol but you can't take Phenylephrine because that increases your blood pressure and you also can't use it at all if you have high blood pressure, so make sure to look at the product to see if it's suitable for you."
Do you have a story to share? We want to hear all about it. Email us at yourmirror@mirror.co.uk
