Right now I am dealing with a cold.
I hate being sick. I'm not very patient with illnesses.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter what precautions we take, somehow the cold finds us. It got me. Of course, when we get a cold or any illness now, we immediately wonder if it's COVID. Well, I have that covered as I have tested twice over the past 48 hours and have tested negative so far.
I'm one that is in denial about being sick until it becomes too much to avoid it. That's where I am now.
Like most people, I try to trace it back to how I got it. So, I go back to when I first felt a scratchiness in my throat. A few days ago I woke up with a sore throat after having the window cracked slightly to keep the room cool. I suspect that "night air" might have set this cold in motion. Later that day, I cleaned a litter box and vacuumed without a mask. After that, I was hit full force with this cold. I’m sure this cold is a combination of all of the above.
So the next question is how long will this last?
When I googled it, the average says 7-10 days. If that’s the case then I’m in day 3 so I have another week.
Most of the time this junk lingers longer than that. I can't tell you how much joy that brings me. Just to know I have to deal with this for at least another week - maybe longer.
I’m at the stage of constantly blowing my nose and cough. I am constantly blowing my nose now. How is it that one can never empty all that junk out? I have an endless supply right now. It all gets worse at night with the drainage into the throat. Gross right?
So what’s the deal with the “common” cold?
- There is no cure for the common cold. No vaccines. No quick relief..
- The average duration of a cold is 7-10 days although some symptoms, especially runny or stuffy nose and cough, can last for up to 10 to 14 days. Some times a nagging cough can linger for up to eight weeks. EIGHT weeks coughing?? Yep, I've done that before.
- Colds are minor infections of the nose and throat caused by more than 200 different viruses. Rhinovirus is the most common cause, accounting for 10 to 40 percent of colds. (And I bet the brilliant idea of cracking the window open with the night air had something to do with that.)
- In the United States, colds account for more visits to the doctor than any other condition.
- Adults get an average of two to four colds per year, mostly between September and May.
- Colds are highly contagious. They most often spread when droplets of fluid that contain a cold virus are transferred by touch. These droplets may also be inhaled.
- Rest is key to getting over colds faster.
- Medications like Tylenol (acetaminophen) like can help control fever,
- To avoid dehydration caused by fever, drink plenty of fluids.
- Decongestants or cough suppressants can help ease cold symptoms in adults,
There's no choice but to wait it out and keep blowing my nose. Fun days are ahead.
