So I have a cold (again). I get sick a lot at my work (substitute teacher, and tutor) probably because I’m around so many kids every day. Even though I catch a lot of colds through the year, it doesn’t make me any more used to them.
Probably the most annoying symptom I get is this weird dryness in the back of my nasal cavity. The best way I can describe it is having a sore throat, only higher up. I haven’t found any over-the-counter medicines that really treat this, and cough drops/sore throat lozenges don’t seem to be terribly effective either. I’ve tried Tylenol, but I don’t seem to feel any difference, either.
Usually this pain persists for 24-48 hours, and when it starts, I know that I’ll have quite a while to endure the discomfort before it magically goes away. Sleeping is difficult, and weirdly enough it seems to make me salivate excessively
Anyone had this happen? Any treatments/cures they found? Even if it goes away today, it would still be nice knowing I have something I can do about it the next time it happens.
Not a medical doctor, etc. Search the board for “nasal lavage” or “neti pots” and you’ll find a lot of information on saline lavage. I find this helpful for symptoms similar to what you’re describing.
I get one cold a year. Occasionally, two. So OTC & “natural” remedies do it for me.
Maybe you should actually go to a doctor to find out just why you are having so many colds. Not all teachers do. Are you doing everything possible to prevent infection? Any underlying health problems? Some cold/allergy pills “dry me out” excessively–so I don’t use them.
Specifically, ask about the symptoms you find distressing.
I find a steam with slippery elm, calendula and chamomile is helpful. Boil a pot of water and pour it into a large bowl containing the herbs. Drape a towel over your head and stick your head over the bowl, creating a “tent” with the towel. All three herbs are soothing to mucus membranes, and inhaling the steam is the best way to get them back there.
I have cleaned up a few of my hygiene habits and started taking vitamins, and my incidence of colds and flus has gone way done. I take cod liver oil, flax seed oil, vitamin C, and vitamin B every day. I wash my hands with warm water and soap frequently throughout the day, try not to touch things like door handles if I can help it, and keep my hands away from my eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
With your location you might not need the cod liver oil - every person who lives north of San Francisco should be taking it, though, because we physically can’t get enough sun to make the vitamins in your skin that sun makes.
I thought neti pots were a bad idea because they washed out the mucus you need in your nose to contain and fight disease. I don’t know what San Jose is like, but can you put a humidifier in your house/classroom?
Is there anything you’re thinking of besides Vitamin D? 'Cause anyone eating a standard American diet gets enough Vitamin D through that. Also, sunscreen does not block all the UV rays needed to make Vitamin D, and less than 10 minutes in the sun with just bare arms is more than enough time to make the Vitamin D you need.
Think about how covered up people used to be year 'round, for thousands of years. Bare arms and legs were “indecent” and everyone wore hats. If Vitamin D were that hard to come by, we wouldn’t have survived several centuries and many generations wearing so many clothes.
Mucus generally has a lot of IgA antibodies in it, which can inactivate pathogens.
Having said that, once the symptoms arrive, the mucus probably isn’t that effective in fighting the infection, and I personally recommend (and use) neti pots for the types of symptoms the OP describes.
I thought the one vitamin that wasn’t still in debate was Vitamin D supplements (through things like cod liver oil) for northern residents. Here’s a link to an Web MD-type site that supports Vitamin D supplements for northern populations. It might not just be the Vitamin D that I’m getting from the cod liver oil, but I do feel healthier in winter taking it than not. And Calgary definitely qualifies as a northern zone.
Some people like a commercial saline nasal spray because it’s more diffuse than a homemade saline lavage in a squirt bottle or neti pot, and sometimes has a buffering agent in it. For me, I’d rather pay a lot less to make it myself, plus I hate the smell and taste of the commercial ones–very old sock-like in my experience. To each his/her own, though.
