Nasty head cold

We have been fighting a cold the past few days. I am trying to keep his nose clean so it doesn't end up in his chest or worse his ears. He HATES the nose sucker and screams every time I use it, but I would rather go through that then him get ear infections. It doesn't help that the weather keeps going from 70 to 30 over night! They have out-lawed children's cough medicines so the only thing he can really take in Little Noses decongestion drops. The saddest sound in the world is him coughing and wheezing. I have asthma so I understand how uncomfortable it can be when you can't breath. He seems to be handling it well but Mommy and Daddy are not so much!