If a cold catches up with you this season, you may want to head to your kitchen for relief.

Echoing advice from generations of moms, researchers at the University of Nebraska concluded in a 2000 study that many chicken soups seemed to reduce congestion.

Need something more than a nice bowl of soup to unclog your nose? Consider a decongestant. Just be aware that some over-the-counter products have undergone a change.

All decongestants reduce mucus production by constricting blood vessels in the nose. Among the best is pseudoephedrine, a compound found in cold remedies such as Contac and Sudafed. Unfortunately, pseudoephedrine also is used to make the illegal drug methamphetamine. For that reason, federal law now requires that products containing pseudoephedrine be moved from shelves to behind the counter. You have to show identification to buy them, and sign a logbook.

To keep familiar brand names on the shelves, some manufacturers have substituted the decongestant phenylephrine for pseudoephedrine. But a recent review of the evidence concluded that oral phenylephrine is unlikely to work. Check with your doctor before taking either ingredient if you have hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, hyperthyroidism or anxiety, or take other drugs.

If you don’t want an oral decongestant, try nasal products first. Drops and sprays, such as Neo-Synephrine and Afrin 12-Hour, work faster than oral products and are less likely to cause substantial side effects or drug interactions. There is, however, one potential drawback: If used for more than about three days, nasal products can cause a renewed stuffiness that’s worse than the original problem.

Home remedies, including inhaling steam, can go a long way in reducing cold symptons. Consumer Reports also recommends chicken soup and store-bought remedies including pseudoephedrine to reduce congestion.

One nasal product you may want to avoid is Zicam Cold Remedy, a zinc-based gel that costs $11 to $12 for about a week’s supply. While test-tube studies have shown that high levels of zinc might curb the growth of cold viruses and boost the production of infection-fighting substances, only about half the clinical trials we looked at for nasal zinc found that it shortens or eases a cold. More important, studies with animals and case reports suggest that nasal zinc may cause loss of smell, possibly permanent. Oral zinc is probably safe if you take less than 40 milligrams a day, but the evidence on its efficacy also is mixed.

If all you have is a simple runny nose caused by a cold, your best bet may be an older antihistamine, such as chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton) or diphenhydramine (Benadryl Allergy). These drugs can cause drowsiness.

Whenever possible, try these nondrug steps first for treating congestion caused by a cold:

l Elevate your head when lying down.

l Drink plenty of fluids.

l Use saline nasal rinse, sold in drugstores.

l Inhale steam from a hot shower, vaporizer or kettle.

And have some chicken soup. Our tests of 26 store-bought products identified one, The Original SoupMan Chicken Vegetable, as excellent. Created by the guy made infamous on “Seinfeld,” one cup of this soup costs $2.99 and provides 150 calories, 5 grams of fat and 930 milligrams of sodium. Costing much less (28 cents a cup) and serving up fewer calories (70), less fat (1 gram), and less sodium (690 mg), Lipton Soup Secrets wasn’t quite as tasty, but still qualified as a CR Best Buy.