Allergy or cold? It's a cold

[dreamshark]

I was pretty sure when I started coughing last week that the sudden discomfort in my chest came on too abruptly to be allergies or asthma. But it took a few days to get to the unmistakeable dripping-nose misery that I wasn't sure. The nose thing hit last night, and there is now no doubt - this is a cold. But not an especially bad one, I think. Nose is actually feeling better today (I think). I was worried when it started in the chest, but so far it hasn't gotten bad at all. Honestly, I feel good enough today to go skiing. But I'm not going to. That would be stupid. My bronchi are over-sensitive to cold, and I DO NOT WANT a winter chest cough.

Comments

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear it. Get well soon! It's kind of a cliche, but I, for one, really do find chicken soup soothing at such times.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

Yeah, if somebody felt like making chicken soup I'd eat it. :-)
I'm not particularly miserable, though, just bored and slightly cranky.

[laurel]

The cold I had for this past week sounds similar to what you have. It was mild, as colds go. Mostly annoying and inconvenient, not "OMG sick die now" sort of cold or "Ugh, so miserable" cold. Just "gosh, this congestion is really annoying" kindof cold.

I had congestion in my chest and in sinuses. Touch of a sore throat some days.

Seem to be mostly better now, hope you feel better soon.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my cold does sound similar to yours. It was wishful thinking that my nose was getting better, though - it's at the point right now where I'm going through 10 Kleenex an hour and I'm ready to rip my nose right off my face. Aaarrgh, I hate this. But I don't feel really SICK - just uncomfortable. As long as my plugged up ear doesn't get infected and the cough doesn't get serious, I'll be happy.

Glad you're feeling better.

[beccal.livejournal.com]

Do find yourself some chicken soup ASAP. Scientific references below aside, homemade chicken soup is just good for the spirit.

Lots of hot tea, with honey and lemon; ginger tea or candy for congestion, sympathy from LJ, all also good therapeutically. Hope you feel better soonest.

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DOI 10.1378/chest.78.4.672 1980;78;672-674 Chest
F Rosner
Therapeutic efficacy of chicken soup
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The ability of chicken soup to inhibit neutrophil chemotaxis (and therefore reduce inflammation) has been presented at the 1993 International Conference of the American Lung Association and the American Thoracic Society. It was proven that chemotaxis was markedly reduced, even when the soup was diluted 200 times. The soup included onions, sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips and parsnips, all of which may have contributed to the beneficial effects. 4

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

My loving spouse did in fact make a big chicken stew for dinner. But I've gotta tell you that what helped way more than the chicken soup was the following recipe:

1 large mug (2 teabags) of gingerbread spice herbal tea
about 2 ounces of brandy
curling up on the couch in the attic with the steaming mug to watch a movie

I did that last night, and felt SOOOO much better. If only I'd thought of that the night before!

I am also feeling noticeably better today, which is probably more because the cold has now reached the one-week mark than because of any particular treatment.