What do you do for a severe cold?
Not influenza, but a cold:
One guy I knew in graduate school believed in getting into bed, drinking a bottle of red wine, and sleeping it off. Others believed (apparently) in coming to work or class and infecting as many people as possible. I've always been partial to very spicy chicken soup myself: spiciness seems to loosen up the head, and the chicken soup makes it easy to sleep. Another school embraces the toddy: a big mug of hot tea with a shot of bourbon, a spoonful of honey, and the juice of half a lemon.
What's your treatment?
| Symptoms | Influenza | Common Cold | Allergy | Sinusitis |
| Headache | Always | Occasionally | Occasionally | Occasionally |
| Muscle Aches | Always (severe) | Usually (mild) | Rarely | Rarely |
| Fatigue, weakness | Always (severe; sudden onset; may last several weeks) | Occasionally (mild) | Never | Occasionally |
| Fever | Always (high, typically 102-104ยบ; sudden onset; lasts 3-4 days) | Occasionally (mild) | Never | Occasionally |
| Cough | Usually (often severe) | Occasionally | Occasionally | Usually |
| Runny, stuffy nose | Occasionally | Usually | Usually | Always (stuffy) |
| Nasal discharge | Occasionally | Usually (thick; clear to yellowish green) | Usually (watery; clear) | Always (thick; yellowish green) |
| Sneezing | Rarely | Occasionally | Usually | Rarely |
| Sore throat | Rarely | Usually | Occasionally | Rarely |
| Itchy eyes, nose, throat | Rarely | Rarely | Usually | Never |
One guy I knew in graduate school believed in getting into bed, drinking a bottle of red wine, and sleeping it off. Others believed (apparently) in coming to work or class and infecting as many people as possible. I've always been partial to very spicy chicken soup myself: spiciness seems to loosen up the head, and the chicken soup makes it easy to sleep. Another school embraces the toddy: a big mug of hot tea with a shot of bourbon, a spoonful of honey, and the juice of half a lemon.
What's your treatment?
posted by LeisureGuy at 11/12/2005 05:49:00 PM
3 Comments:
Well, there was that time when the Russian housekeeper convinced me to slice a garlic clove in half, and stick a half up each nostril. After about 20 seconds, the most violent sneeze imaginable projected the garlic cloves and the entire contents of my sinuses across the room. When I called her to complain (after I stopped laughing), she said "so it worked, yes?"
Can't add anything substantive, but I'll print the grid and tape it on the back of a kitchen cabinet. Thanks. SR
HA! Jen, that's hilarious. My cold remedy isn't nearly as humorous. I go with vitamin C and echinacea, even though apparenly echinacea doesn't actually do anything...but the placebo effect works for me! Also: Cold FX is a wonder drug for curing or greatly reducing cold symptoms. I believe it's a ginseng product...? The first day you're sick, you take 3 tablets 3 times a day, the next day 2 tablets 3 times a day, and then 1 tablet 3 times a day until your symptoms are gone. It's kind of expensive, but it actually does work. My parents swear by it too. And I heard something about the BC health care people or whoever recommending it in conjunction with the flu shot??
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