[redwitch]

Originally Posted by asianthree

Oddly at work 60% of us have the same thing since we see multitude of doctors every day! That would be 58 people. From ent to gastric to ortho, to general surgeon. Constant cough near close to vomiting. Coming from throat, not lungs. No fever. Laryngitis also. Not the flu it's viral. No antibiotic will work. We are running about three weeks with this then slowly get better. Happy Holidays

Thank you.

[Bizdoc]

1) Try keeping your throat wet - frequent sips of water (hot beverages may work better).

2) You can try benadryl or similar. When we moved down here my sinus (and throat) problems cleared up. When we visit DC again, they come back for a month or so. Figured out that it is probably leaf mold (which we are blessedly free of here).

[graciegirl]

I think this virus is a one carried by birds.




snowbirds.

[Suzi]

Some practical ideas: before bed try tea (decaffeinated if sensitive) with honey and a shot of whiskey or brandy; warmed ginger ale with a little lemon and southern comfort; chicken noodle soup - some studies have shown it really DOES work.

Blueash is correct in all he said. This year's flu vaccine has missed what appears to be going around - its a H3 virus thats hitting everywhere. Avoid crowds and people who are ill, wash your hands frequently and keep your fingers crossed you are not exposed.

[Nightengale212]

This info may not be of help to you now but going forward maybe some food for thought.

Several years back I was contracting URI's one after the other figuring it was from my heavy work related exposure being a nurse in a primary care clinic. After the 3rd URI which I was pretty sick and required some prednisone as I was wheezing like a tea kettle my doctor decided to check my Vitamin D level as this vitamin plays an important role in immune health. Normal levels should be 30-50 and mine was 17. After a month or so of taking a prescribed high dose Vitamin D my level reached close to 30 and then I was put on a maintenance dose. Since getting and keeping my Vitamin D level in normal range I have thus far experienced another URI despite my heavy daily exposure to these nasty bugs.

[jnieman]

Try a humidifier in your room at night. It will help with the cough. You may also put some Vicks vapor rub on your chest. Just wrap an old tee shirt around your neck. Wash off the Vicks before going out.

[Bonnevie]

do you remember growing up before the onset of insurance that covered everything? in my family we had to be on death's doorstep before we got taken to a doctor. now people rush there for every head cold. the reason antibiotics "help" is because by the time you go to the doctor the illness would probably be winding down by itself. of course, people with conditions like copd or such have to be extra cautious. but sometimes a bad cold is just a bad cold. I had it in Oct. despite the delsym I would still wake up coughing at times. I kept lozenges by my bed and sucking on one of them helped, though I was afraid I'd fall back to sleep before it totally dissolved. I'll keep honey there next time. by the way, my old Irish grandmother said the best cure for a cold was a shot of whiskey and then bundled up in bed to sweat it out.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by redwitch

Folks, I promise I will see a doc if it sticks around too long or gets worse. Oddly, barring the cough and tender nose from being blown, I feel okay. Not as much energy but okay. And I'm not thrilled reading this dang cough will hang around for weeks.

Thank you all for the info and concern.

After reading all the posts, I believe there's something important that has been left out of this discussion. Here it is: The immune response is the cause of your symptoms, NOT the virus. And, of course, this assumes it's just a common cold.

The above statement is what I based my theory on. And my theory is this: Your immune system causes various cold symptoms for a reason. This is how your immune system works. For example, A sore throat is usually caused by inflammation and your immune system caused it for a reason, to fight the virus. Sore-throat caughing, sneezing, stuffy nose, it's all there for a reason, to fight the virus.

To the extent that you eliminate or cover-up symptoms, you are interferring with what your immune system is trying to accomplish. In that case I believe the cold may last longer.

What you can do is get plenty of rest, stay properly hydrated, eat a "normal" amount of healthy food, and stay away from vigorous exercise