#Colds

[tealin]

Mucus Buster

Everyone's got lingering congestion this year, so as someone who's no stranger to phlegm, and inherited the folk wisdom of a stage actress (the show must go on!) I share with you my recipe for making things better:

2L water

the juice and rind of one lemon (just dump the juiced rinds in, don't zest them, you maniac)

a small thumb of fresh ginger, sliced in coins

about a dozen cloves, some star anise, peppercorns, and maybe whole cinnamon or allspice or whatever else you like, in a tea ball (except the cinnamon if it doesn't fit, obvs)

good dollop of honey, to taste

Bring the water to a boil then dump in all the stuff. Keep it hot but not boiling – a slow cooker is good for this. Keep this pot on a low heat all day and serve yourself a mug every so often, adding water as necessary. At some point you will need to add a new lemon and some more honey, but the spices can generally carry over two pots if you're drinking it regularly.

The acid helps clear the gunk, ginger is good for the circulation, and clove/aniseed/pepper have some sort of decongestant/soothing properties. Honey is both nice and antiseptic, and apparently is a cough suppressant as well? Anyway, I just got over another run of Covid and this was wasn't 100% effective but it worked better than phenylephrine.

[selene-and-the-cold]

A person who is so sick that they just could not get comfortable all day. They kept coughing and sneezing so much that their throat, nose and ears hurt. Their headache only got worse over the course of the day from all the sneezing, sniffling, and noseblowing they did. Their body aches and their fever has them going from shivering to sweating profusely several times per hour.

It is all too much and they cannot find a comfortable position all day, tossing and turning, until finally, their SO arrives and takes them in their arms. Suddenly, all is well, and they finally, finally find some much needed rest, curled up in their partner's embrace, sobbing because all has been too much all day.

[snzymae]

having thoughts of a couple in bed sharing an absolutely miserable head cold. They’re both propped up with pillows to watch movies or try to read, even though their heads are stuffed full of aching congestion. There’s a full box of tissues between them and steaming mugs of tea on their respective bedside tables. It’s day 3 of this cold, their symptoms are the worst they’ve been since both of them came home from work with scratchy throats two days before. They can’t even snuggle up to each other, as they’re both too warm from their fevers.

I’m thinking of them lying together in silence, only it’s not silence, because there is no respite from their cacophony of symptoms. When one sneezes, the other’s coughing. When one blows their nose, the other launches into a fit of hitching and sneezing. There’s a constant sound of one or both of them sniffling. On more than one occasion, they let out a snotty sneeze at the same time, and can’t help but think that this misery of cold symptoms will never end.

[mysharona1987]

[snotmorty]

Cold Sneezes while Inspire blesses me

I'm coming down with a cold and my nose wouldn't stop itching so I induced a few while @sneezienspire blessed me 😏

Contains: loud wet sneezing, blessing, swearing, nose blowing, tiny bit of coughing

[cuddles-and-snzies]

A business man with an absolutely horrible cold that has a nasal spray in his bag. He has a meeting and he has to excuse himself to "use the bathroom" but in reality he heads outside where no one can see him to apply the nasal spray.

During the meeting it bothers him so much that every few minutes, or rather seconds, he wiggles and rubs at his nose.

Oh, they have asked him if he's under the weather... he said no. And he's touched so many things in that meeting room. It would be a shame if someone caught something from him...

[snezus-christ-risen]

Thinking about how colds can cause inflammation and congestion that makes a person’s face tender, sore, and so sensitive to touch. Their nose feels so full, but no amount of blowing provides relief. If anything, it exacerbates the inflammation, and even touching their face with something as light and delicate as a tissue becomes too much to bear.

[vintagepromotions]

Advertisement for Vicks VapoRub (1987).

[pagesinmylife]

The Secret to Fighting Colds in College

Always prioritize sleep (even when you aren’t sick)

Sleep boosts your immune system more than emergen-c ever could

The second you start feeling off: guzzle water like there’s no tomorrow

Im serious about this. Your pee should be clear. Keep drinking water.

Have a stock pile of meds to combat cold symptoms. You can’t cure a cold but it’ll make your life easier

I like to have allergy meds, cough meds, and generic stuffy head meds in my apartment at all times

Some meds you can take together BUT ALWAYS READ THE LABELS FIRST. If a drug appears on each label DO NOT take both

Always mark the time you took your meds. 4am you will not be helpful when it comes to avoiding overdoses

When in doubt, don’t take another dosage

Eat actual food. (You should do this anyway but especially when sick). Eat those fruits and veggies

DRINK WATER

E-mail professors ASAP if you think you’ll fall behind on materials and assignments. Most profs will be chill about giving you extensions

SLEEP 8-10 HOURS A DAY MINIMUM

Seriously your body needs sleep when sick

Colds can last anywhere from 3-10 days. Not giving yourself rest will ensure you end up with the 10 day cold

The work you do while sick will not be good so prioritize getting better and then tackle your assignments

Please do not go to class. This is how colds spread through the study body like wildfire. Most schools have better sick policies since Covid so do your classmates a favor and stay home.

[feverflushed]

When a sick character already knows that their night is going to be terrible, and they dread going to bed.

When they lie down their symptoms just seem to amplify. At night, their stuffy nose becomes a wall of concrete, their fever gets even more uncomfortable, and the annoying tickle in their throat turns into a cough that is impossible to suppress, and leaves them sweaty from the effort.

Bonus points if another character acknowledges their symptoms.

"Good luck trying to sleep with that cough tonight!"

[sickficsaturn]

Something I think about a lot is a person of power- be it royal, noble, any kind of stern leader-type is busy working feverishly (perhaps quite literally) on a massive pile of paperwork that they feel they must finish.

Of course, they’re in the beginning phase of a cold.

Their servant/team mate/SO/flavor of your choice tries to convince them to rest, that they’ve worked themselves to the bone, but [character] is just too damn stubborn! They’re fine, they just have so much work to do! Yet the sound of their pen or quill scratching on paper is interrupted by the occasional sniffle or muffled cough.

Their denial is interrupted by a sneeze so sudden that they’re at its mercy. They clench their pen tightly and either

A.) the force drives the pen across the page, ruining their hard work. They look at the long streak in horror.

Or

B.) the force causes them to spill the entire inkwell over a multitude of pages, some may even splash onto themselves (bonus cuteness if the other person cleans the ink off of them).

Now there’s really no room for that denial- they’re most definitely getting sick and now that their work is ruined, there’s nothing keeping them. They can relax now. Not much of a choice!

[selene-and-the-cold]

The relief pouring out of a sick person who had to be out and about all day with their cold and a fever as soon as they close the door of their apartment behind them and fall into the arms of their SO. Finally allowed to be weak. Finally having someone there to fuss over them. Finally home.

[snzymae]

An extremely congested, cold-ridden person with glasses on pushing them up to the bridge of their nose when they notice them slipping down, the slightest touch of them setting of a fit of itchy sneezes

[snzzenby641]

A gets sick very suddenly. B takes over tasks that would usually be left to A.

A sick doctor being looked after by their partner

A sick chef having food made for them for the first time in ages

A sick knight having someone else protect them for once.

A sick singer having their partner hum a gentle tune to them as they fall asleep

A sick florist who needed to deliver an arrangement last minute but can’t, leaving their allergic partner B in charge.

A sick librarian being read to while their head hurts.

Just an unexpected but welcome change of pace.

[messysneeze]

feeling brave! first art post here. if you recognize my style no you don't, and all that