Wintertime Crud

This time of year, the hospital staff will call in sick with what has been named "The South Georgia Crud". (A part of my job is to take employee calls-ins when they are too sick to take care of the sick.) This illness is typically a combination of an upper respiratory infection, general malaise (yucky feeling), and sometimes gastrointestinal involvement. Most often the source of the infection is viral so supportive care is about all that can be done. Folks come up with their own combinations of "sure cures" but truly time is the only cure. There are some things that can be done to tolerate the symptoms and ease the misery however. Nasal congestion is perhaps the most bothersome symptom. The goal is to decrease the viscosity (thickness) of the mucous and get it to drain from the sinuses. The easiest way to do this is to irrigate the sinuses. There are all kinds of "tools" on the market (Nettie Pots, bottle irrigations, etc.) but if you don't have these on hand, you can improvise with what you have available. Mix up a teaspoon of table salt and about 6 ounces of warm water. Using a small container (medicine cup maybe) or a eyedropper or an old empty nose spray bottle, squeeze or drop the saline (salt water) into you nostrils ( one at a time of course) until the sinus is full, while you have your head in a dependent position. I usually hang my head off the bed or sofa while lying on my back. Allow the solution to stay in your sinuses about 3-5 mins (or until you can't stand it any more) then flip over quickly and allow the drainage to empty into a handful of paper towel (tissue not sturdy enough for this job). Irrigation decreases the thick mucus which serves as a nice culture medium for the lurking bacteria waiting for the opportunity to get in on the act. It also makes breathing easier and decreases the pressure in the sinus areas. Some words of caution here. Be prepared for family members to think you've lost you mind should they walk in on this treatment and be careful when flipping over. I once got a nasty carpet burn on my chin when I flipped off the bed trying to contain the drainage! Funny how no one believed me when I told that story. As I'm typing this blog, my sister just called with, guess what? Yep. She's got it; but, her version is "The North Florida Crud". She's home alone, except for Charlie the dog, still in her jammies sipping juice and waiting on ....TIME...,the only sure cure! That's all for now.