How I Combat the Cold and Flu!

I am sorry to tell you that there is no magical formula or medication to make you all better in 24 hours.. unless you are using theraflu to speed up your flu. Here are simple and affordable remedies I have learned over time in combination of life experience and my nursing education. I have been beaten down by the common cold and I want to share how to put a dent in the symptoms as well as knowing if you are too sick to go to work.

The beginning symptoms were very minimal and mild fatigue and malaise at best and evolved over the course of a week. Once they started becoming apparent it only took four days to kick into full swing and I couldn’t deny that I was sick anymore because it knocked me off my feet. The point is that not all cold or flu is going to follow the same incubation period and presentation time frame so listen to your body and take it easy!

Symptoms

• general feeling of inner ear pulsation alternating with whichever nostril became blocked
• waking up with a sore throat, due to post nasal drip 
• a general malaise
• body aches
• sore burning eyes
• uncontrollable running nose
• and finally a low grade fever set in for two or three days. A low grade fever is any temperature 2.2 degrees over your normal basal body temperature or over the normal 98.6 for adults but below 100.4 for a period of 24 hours.

I knew that I wasn’t going to get better all at once so I resorted to tackling the symptoms. I will share with you what I always keep stocked up on and works for me.

Treatments

I always keep Lotion infused tissues, Blistix medicated chap stick (mostly for my nose), honey, tea, throat lozenges (typically with honey in them), sprite, and saltines. When we get sick with the cold or flu we can’t smell or really taste normally so we tend to crave saltier foods like good old chicken noodle soup, tomato soup, miso soup, etc..

Sore throat

FI typically use the lozenges, honey in my tea, and salt water gargle.

Please note that if you have a sore throat that feels like dry sand paper or shards of glass every time you take a breath and swallow then you should call your primary care provider (PCP) or urgent care to be seen. When I feel this way I go in and am seen (doctors prescription required) for and ask for the oncology magic mouthwash to numb up the throat as most over the counter solutions are ineffective.

To breath easier again, reduce nasal swelling, and ear pressure

• Inner ear pressure or throbbing when you feel like your head is one giant balloon and you can’t hear because your ears are clogged this is common with sinus congestion. See my post on Sinus induced Pulsatile Tinnitus.
  • Steam inhalation: I didn’t experience any success with using steam water to open the airway.

Nasal Congestion

The best results came from using a combination of decongestants and a netti pot.

• Never sleeping flat when I am sick and have sinus congestion. Sleep with head elevate at least 10 inches. The pressure builds up in our heads when we lay flat. Additionally the sinus drainage seeps down your throat leading to severe sore throats in the morning and potential for draining into your lungs to cause worsening symptoms or pneumonia. I use pillows to prop myself up and will typically sleep on the couch.

• Pseudoephedrine HCl 12 hour relief aka sudafed
• Mucinex will thin nasal secretions bringing relief to a runny nose.

  • Never take two types of decongestants at the same time 

• Oxymetazoline Hydrochloride 0.05% Nasal Decongestant/Original/No Drip/12 Hour Nasal Spray, 1 oz aka Afrin
  • Tilt your head forward and look down while plugging your nose after spraying each nostril.
  • You Should never use this for more than 3 days due to rebound congestion. 

• • NeilMed Sinus Rinse aka NettiPot!

This has been the most successful decongestant for normal colds. It uses a saline (salt water) solution which will help kill bacteria, reduce the swelling and dry out the mucous membranes while helping wash out any build up in your sinus cavity. This should only be used when you are experiencing symptoms. 

 I highly recommend it! If your nasal airway is completely blocked and you can’t get any fluid in then first try tilting your head to the side where the fluid will be exiting your nose and if that doesn’t work use sudafed or the nasal decongestant spray first to open the nasal passage for more effective treatment. 

Coughing

Coughs are our apart of our bodies natural defense mechanism and I try not to impede that as much as possible. When you are healthy have you ever wondered why you have to “decongest” in the morning when you wake up and clear your airway by blowing your nose and throat? It is because your sinuses empty into your throat especially at night time when you lay flat giving it a change to settle at the back of your throat or worse make its way into your upper airway and cause you to cough. Keep in mind that when we lay down flat the hair or cilia that line our airway become irritated by the presence of the congestion and fluid debris built up in our lungs causing us to react and cough until it is gone. Cough suppressants are a last resort for me because I don’t like to impede this normal response mechanism if i can avoid it. However I am not opposed to taking a cough suppressant but I haven’t really found anything that reliably works and can give me a full nights sleep uninterrupted.

If the symptoms move into my lungs and I develop a cough that causes mucous to be coughed up then I will use an expectorant like Mucinex all the while hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

• Use pillows to prop yourself up when you are sleeping or resting to prevent Further drainage from entering the lungs 
  • To open your airway and promote easier breathing
  • And promote sinus drainage and decrease sinus pressure

Fevers

For the fever and body aches I will use a cocktail approach of ibuprofen and alternate Tylenol until my fever breaks. Do Not double up and take other Cold and flu medications that also contain  acetaminophen, asparin, or naproxen in them while taking ibuprofen and Tylenol.

Knowing When to Stay Home

Listen to your body by paying attention to what your body is telling you with the symptoms you are feeling. If you are easily winded and exhausted and you have a high stress or high physically demanding job then you wont be ale to perform at your normal level.

Slow down to rest and recover or you will keep yourself sick. By trying to work through your sickness by going to work and trying to keep up with all of your normal activities your body is wasting energy trying to keep you on your feet instead of using that energy to combat the invading organisms. At the end of the day you will be worse off and inevitably prolong the amount of time you are sick.

Are you contagious? If you have a viral or bacterial infection such as the cold or flu then it isn’t worth coming into work and exposing the public, your co workers, and their families to becoming sick. If you had a fever then wait 24 hours before returning to work.

TIP: Its better to call off sick early than to go into work and get everyone else sick or wait until the last minute when it will be harder to find a replacement for you.

Are you taking medications that could impair your judgment or make you increasingly drowsy? If you are using medications that make you drowsy like benadryl, night quill, or opiates for an injury that leaves you feeling hazy, cloudy, or dizzy then you should stay home.

References

Kam, K. (n.d.). Too Sick to Work? Retrieved November 8, 2017, from https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/too-sick-to-work

low-grade fever. (n.d.) Mosby’s Medical Dictionary, 8th edition. (2009). Retrieved November 8 2017 from https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/low-grade+fever