Brief Answer:
Colds are caused by viruses and are treated symptomatically

Detailed Answer:
Hello, I'm Dr. Branch, thanks for using 'Ask a Doctor'. Colds, which can also cause sneezing, are caused by viral infections, and so antibiotics are not helpful with these kinds of infections. Since we usually cannot treat the virus itself, all we can do is treat the symptoms until your body clears the virus itself. For sneezing, this can partly be an allergic response, and so an antihistamine, along with a decongestant, could be helpful, something like loratadine and pseudoephedrine or cetirizine and pseudoephedrine. A nasal spray such as fluticasone or cromolyn sodium can also help with nasal symptoms. For cough, honey can be a safe, effective treatment, or dextromethorphan. These symptoms usually last for a week or so. The most common complication would be a bacterial sinus infection, which usually has signs of sinus pressure, nasal congestion and thick nasal drainage that is not improving by 10 days after the symptoms start.

I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any other questions about that, and I would be glad to discuss it with you further.

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