Cold/Flu Season Sucks

[Ladyzekke]

I wash my hands like all the time, but it seems this year has beaten all my efforts, too many sick people around me. So I caught a cold, feel really lucky actually it wasn't this nasty flu we have going around here.

I didn't catch like a big horrible cold either, no cough, only a drippy nose for a bit. BUT... My frikken ears are muffled now, must be clogged because of the cold I have. What can I do to fix it? Been days now, I hate to go to a doctor and take antibiotics if I do not have to, antibiotics will only work if I have an ear infection anyways, and I don't know if I have an infection in my ears, could be all from this cold. Not to mention I'm not all keen to go to a doctor and sit in the waiting room with people who have the flu.

I can still hear, but is muffled in both ears. This is nuts, I haven't had ear trouble since I was a kid! And I do not remember what fixes it! I remember my mom making me lay on a hot water bottle, but dunno if that helped or not, and I can't find a hot water bottle anywhere anyways. Sigh. I hate this time of year

Have you had ear problems before? If so, what did you do, and how did it pan out?

Anyone know of any ear remedies also LOL? Or if not, well then just whine with me please, it will make me feel better LOL.

[ 01-17-2004, 12:25 AM: Message edited by: ladyzekke ]

[Gabrielles blades]

ive had ear problems previously, but unrelated to a flu or cold...
basically it was a slight pain with occasional 'ringing' sound that could be heard.
the solution was to use a metallic squirting device to effect a steady flow of water into and out of the ear thereby cleansing it...course i wouldnt try that at home without that particular device that the doctor used and a good amount of practice using it as id bet you could break your ear drum by having too strong of a flow.

[Melusine]

Like I said in private Wendy, you could try a nosespray, since it sounds like your sinuses are blocked and that can muffle your ears as well. Nosespray clears up the clogging.
But like Gabrielle's Blades said, you could also be in simple need of a cleansing fix LOL. Especially when you have narrow eartubes (sorry, I'm too lazy to look up all the terms right now, I hope you can make sense of this) you need to have them cleansed at the doctor's sometimes. I have very narrow eartubes (meaning walking in the wind hurts my ears and if I get water in there it takes ages to come out) and when I was in Greece some years back I went deaf in one ear after swimming. Turned out I needed to have them cleansed.

Good luck and get well soon!! *hug*

[Vaskez]

You think you've got it bad? I've got an undiagnosed continuous cold/hay fever problem. It's been better in recent years but when I was in school I went through about 3 handkerchiefs a day at least for a couple of years. Got this homeopathic hayfever tablet thing to take now so it's a bit better as I said but still haven't been able to go to sleep for a single night in the last 3 weeks without decongestant nose spray Ah well I'm used to not being able to smell or breath through my nose a lot been like this for years.

[Aelia Jusa]

My brother has that problem too, Vask . He used to go through 10 handkerchiefs on really bad days until he started using a nasal spray daily. Now he barely needs to blow his nose! Magic those things. I get hayfever too but more in my eyes than nose.

Hope you feel better soon, LadyZ! I had one cold last year; lol I had a really busy year and I said to my immune system don't get sick! So it obliged and I didn't catch anything until after I finished exams when I got one of the worst colds I've ever had. I think it stored all the year's worth of germs up and then sprayed me with them

[Ladyzekke]

Thanks Mel, I did try a nasal spray a few days ago after you told me about that, but it didn't work I don't know if I have narrow ear tubes or not, I'm guessing I don't though only because I never have had this problem before, except when I was a kid and got colds constantly. Hopefully things will clear up soon so I don't have to go to the doctor, not to keen on doing that because I'm sure all doctors offices will be filled with people with the flu, ugg! Thanks for your wellwishes Mel *hugs* [img]smile.gif[/img]

Vazkez - When I was younger and used to get colds several times a year, one time I had a cold for 3 months straight. I had been using nasal sprays the entire three months, had to cause without them my nose would clog up so bad no air at ALL could pass through. Well, finally my mom took me to the doctor and he told me I had to stop with the nasal sprays, because it was the reason my cold wasn't going away. Apparently all that mucus is your body fighting the cold, so when you keep drying it all up the cold remains. So I had to suffer for a good week breathing out of my mouth, but after that my cold finally went away. So I try to only use nasal sprays now and then when I really have to. Just wanted to pass that onto you just incase maybe you might be in a similar situation with your neverending cold and the nasal sprays (when I mention nasal sprays I mean the kind you just buy in the store, not any kind of prescription kind from a doctor).

Thanks Aelia [img]smile.gif[/img] I haven't had a cold in years and years, so I should probably feel lucky that this one isn't a really bad one like yours ended up to be. Just this not being able to hear clearly thing is driving me nuts LOL!

[Vaskez]

Hmm thanks for the advice LadyZ, I've never tried just breathing through my mouth for a whole week! I usually give up after not being able to get to sleep for a few hours and just use nasal spray - yeah the kind you get in stores, Vicks Sinex to be precise - always works but you're not supposed to use it for more than 7 days at a time - oops! Anyway it's not so bad these days as I said - only at night when I'm trying to get to sleep. But yeah I know the feeling of no air getting through at all. Heh it's funny, well not really, but I always have these bad thoughts when I see hostage situations in films of what would happen if I was a hostage and they put a tape over my mouth - I'd simply suffocate! Ouch!

[Ladyzekke]

Oh it really sucked big time breathing through my mouth for a week. Nasal sprays are so wonderful, you can be completely stuffed up and in literally seconds be breathing perfectly clear! I hated having to stop, but had no choice to get rid of the cold once and for all. Its good that at least you aren't reliant on the nasal sprays (I used the Vicks too LOL, but they all are the same no matter what brand) except for at night. But still if time continues and your cold doesn't go away, you should try stopping the nasal sprays like I did. Oh I know, it will suck, but it's a temporary thing and hopefully the same would happen for you as for me, and your cold would go away and you'd be just fine, with no need for nasal sprays anymore. [img]smile.gif[/img] How bad are you if you do not use a nasal spray at night, can you get any air through at all?

Oh and stop thinking those horrible bad thoughts LOL! Oh man I'm glad I wasn't thinking of hostage situations and tape when I had to go that week without breathing through my nose LOL! Maybe you should try watching some other kind of movies for a while, something happy and fun ROTFL. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Melusine]

Well what you say about those nasal sprays is true, Wendy - you shouldn't use them for too long. People even get addicted to them, seriously. So Vask, maybe you should just try laying off the stuff for a while
I know it sucks to have colds all the time... a few years back my immune system was just crap and I caught one cold/flu bug after the other.

[Gab]

I alsmost never get the flu but I get an exremly runny and plugged up nose a lot. Using anti-histamen can help.

[ 01-18-2004, 12:13 PM: Message edited by: Gab ]