A couple of days ago, I came down with symptoms of a cold –
the “common” cold. This was after all
three of my kids had or were already infected.
It probably started with my oldest kid – who in turn probably got it at
the local germ cesspool known as a school where a whole bunch of other germy
kids gather on a daily basis.
This cold was a little different as it took almost two weeks
for me to get it after he had it – which meant the “incubation” time was 7-14
days – longer than most colds. Probably
it was Respiratory Sincytial Virus (RSV) which can be dangerous and even deadly
in small infants. In older children it
causes a fairly intense cold and in adults it usually causes a minor illness –
doesn’t really mean you don’t feel like garbage, you just don’t feel like you
are going to die.
RSV is one of the most common causes of “croup” which is
characterized by a barking and sometimes spasmodic cough. In children, this often leads to a buildup of
congestion – which can lead to infections such as ear and sinus infection,
along with pneumonia. I say it was
probably RSV – but it could have been an adenovirus, a parainfluenza virus – or
a number of others. Point is RSV is not
an emergency except in small children.
You should take your kid for treatment if they can’t breath, have a high
fever, have been sick for more than a couple of days…etc. Use your common sense or someone else’s if
you have none of your own (apparently a lot of people don’t).
Aside from waiting until the bacteria have grown in the
stagnant mucous – and aside from the over-the-counter meds that you can give or
take, there are also a number of home or natural remedies that can help treat a
cold – or even a worse infection such as the flu.
- MOST OBVIOUS – wash your hands frequently with soap. DON’T touch nasty tissues or drink after someone else. If you have touched something or someone – WASH YOUR HANDS and DO NOT touch your face or eat.
- Spending a little time in a steamy room – can help to moisten and liquefy mucous so that it can
