Colds are Annoying

Today, I have a terrible cold. I don’t even know why I’m writing this. I should be resting. Especially, like whenever I get sick, my eyes are affected and I can’t focus on words, so I must blow up the view on my screen to very large print. And following a train of thought is very difficult. Again, I don’t even know why I’m writing this. It will probably not make much sense.

It started yesterday with too much sneezing, then coughing, a drippy nose and then a headache from the sinus pressure. I know - gross. I drank lots of water, as is always suggested when you’re sick.

RSV, an upper respiratory virus that can be severe, is spreading rampantly through the school my daughter attends. So many kids and teachers have been out sick, I’m not sure why they haven’t closed it down for a couple of days. It’s a fairly small school, so it’s easily noticed when a number of students and teachers are sick. My daughter was sick, but not bad enough that she felt like staying home from school. Just sick enough to carry it home to me.

Right now, I’m drinking coffee (decaf for me because that’s what I drink) and ate a half of a grapefruit for breakfast, trying to load up the Vitamin C and hydration. I also started my morning, as usual, by drinking a cup of water. For lunch, I’ll probably have some leftover chicken and rice soup I made, and I’m making ham and bean soup for dinner, then early to bed again.

Last night, I drank a little bit of whiskey to help deal with this crud. I don’t know if it really helps to deter the effects of the virus, but it makes me feel better, seeming to help me fall asleep without the coughing or the stuffy nose. I did wake up at 2:00 in the morning, though. I couldn’t breath through my nose. I took some heavy-duty off-brand cold medicine and curled up on the couch with my pillow and blanket. I was sound asleep within a minute, and never moved until it was time to get up this morning. That’s some potent medicine! I prefer not to take much medicine when I have a cold. I figure coughing, sneezing and a snotty nose are the body’s natural way of ridding itself of the virus. If you cover those symptoms up too much, the virus holds on longer. But sometimes, I do need to sleep, so I tend to take meds at night to combat a severe cough or stuffy nose. Rest is necessary to recover, too.

My recommendations for dealing with an annoying cold is to drink plenty of water in order to stay hydrated and to help flush the crud from your system, load up on Vitamin C to boost your immunity, eat healthy, nutritious food - soup is good because it’s not to heavy to digest, especially if you’re not feeling hungry, and it’s warm. It also helps clear your sinuses and boost immunity - mores if it’s home made than if it comes from a can due to the processing and additives. Avoid sugar, as it surpasses your immune system and get good rest. Also, avoid lactose products. They tend to encourage phlegm production, leading to a harsher cough and more stuffy nose.

If you take care of yourself, your cold will leave faster and your symptoms will be less severe. If you refuse to take steps to care for yourself, your cold is bound to hang on longer with more severity, and it could even turn into a more severe health issue. Oh, and antibiotics should not be taken for a cold. A cold is a virus. Antibiotics are for bacterial infections. Not only are they ineffective in conquering a virus, they wreak havoc on a body and cause it to develop resistance, which will deem it ineffective in fighting the infection it’s for which it's intended, should you need it in the future.

Thanks for reading! I hope this article, written under the influence of cold symptoms, helps you in your preparations for dealing with the upcoming cold season.