With the cold season coming on us..I thought I would drop some knowledge.
Being surrounded by people in this world it is inevitable that we will get sick. A few simple tricks and you wont have to share your little buggies.
1. Hand washing of course is always the best way to prevent illness, but when you are sick...you would be washing all day. So prevent the dry chapped skin that comes with over washing and use a Kleenex. No silly not to blow your nose....but to open the doors in your path. This will prevent you from transferring your buggies as well as you from picking someone else's up. Okay so you can use the Kleenex to blow your nose if you need to...but then please do not use it to open the door...unless your into sharing buggies.
Transportation...
See when someone sneezes, coughs, wipes their butt, or what ever, they provide a transport mechanism for little buggie things to move around on. Kind of like the bus, these little buggies come with their own sticky gooey coat that works better than a seat belt. But, when your least expecting it... they will jump the bus and find someone else to play with. Using the dollar bill you just stuck in your pocket, the pen you borrowed, or the door knob you used. Think about all the things you and a million others touch every day!!
Port of Entry...
You picked up a bunch of vagrant bugs from something or some one, stuck your finger in your nose, rubbed your eye, or maybe inhaled when someone 30 feet away coughed or sneezed in your direction. They hide in the carpets and jump when you walk...right up your nose. These little fellows find a way to get into you...the only way they can reproduce is by invading you.
So when, despite your best effort, the buggies have invaded, you feel like crap,the nose leaks, the chest is tight, the cough annoys those around you...and the sneezes send mini microbe jets streaming through the air attacking all in their path. Well... take the drugs... they may or may not make you feel better...but it will make you less...ummm icky to the rest of us. (You can still pass these critters on to others even though you feel better...so use the Kleenex!!)
Medications....
You go to the drug store, Wall Mart or where ever you prefer to pick up your drugs. Now please remember... most who shop this isle are sick, touch all the boxes and are probably sniffling and buggifying everything in the vicinity.
So I am giving you a secret. Yes it is a secret, only known to those who spend thousand of dollars going to some kind of advanced medical training. (Or to those who chose to read a book and do a little research instead of waiting for an over priced "professional" to tell them what they could already know.) I suggest you write the following information down...then put it in your wallet, pull it out before entry into the battle zone.
There are 5 Rights medical professionals are taught. This prevents medication errors. I am giving them to you...
1. The Right patient...well thats obvious
2. The Right Dose...this varies depending on age, weight and illness
3. The Right time...yes timing is everything in the drug world. They are designed to work a certain way.
4. The Right Route...now this is the difference between taking it by mouth (PO), Rectal, or shot/IV.
5. The Right Drug...now this should be obvious, but to some it is not. This depends on the symptoms one is suffering...cough-dry or wet, itchy eyes and throat, runny or stuffy nose chest congestion or not...
Okay so you do not need to write that down...but the drug information following is the important part of this writing. Okay the reason for it, to answer all the questions I have received over the last few years.
The common cold is actually the easiest to medicate without a professional. Antibiotics will not cure it only time will help...maybe someday the "Life Cycle of the Cold" will follow this publication.
Symptoms can be treated which will make you feel better, but will not stop the bugs from moving on. (you still should not pick your nose and open a door...the next unsuspecting person will still get your bugs. ie...YOUR STILL CONTAGIOUS!)
There are actually only maybe three or four drugs that can be bought over the counter, I am not discussing the ones you need to buy during pharmacy hours to prevent idiots from cooking crank these are really nasty anyway and epinephrine based drugs should only be used as a last resort, in my opinion. (oops a personal opinion)
All drugs come in two forms, generic and name brands, you know how this works...generic is sometimes just as good but cheaper. I buy whats on sale. What really matters is...what is it made of, and how does it taste. Nothing works if you throw it up right after you take it.
So to feel better when the cold buggies are free loading...try chicken soup...it works.
Okay you want instant relief, well then read the following and hopefully this cold season will be easier for you and the rest of us too.
READ THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT LIST!
Acetaminophen is NOT a cold medication. It is the generic form of Tylenol (an over the counter pain reliever). It is found in a lot of medications because it takes care of pain, you know...sore throat, ear ache, joint and body stiffness (these dudes attack everywhere)
Chlorpheniramine maleate- An antihistamine works by "stopping your body from producing histamines." Confused? A histamine is a part of your bodies defense mechanism and may or may not be addressed in future writings...for now...lets just say it marks the sites of battle so the troops your body will later produce can find the area and attack...histamines make you itch...you know the throat thing, eyes, and that annoying sneeze.
Dextromethorphan HBr- This drug gets into your brain and tells it you do not need to cough. This is okay IF your cough is from an itchy throat or, dry and hacky but coughing is also a defense mechanism natural to the body...suppressing it, if the cough is caused by gooey wet stuff in the lungs, could lead to a bigger problem. Pneumonia causing buggies love the dark, warm, wet world of the lungs...especially if the air flow is decreased from the common cold.
Phenylephrine HCL- a nasal decongestant, this medication causes your blood vessels to shrink in size, less blood swelling them up allows more air space when you inhale...heaven, when your nose is stuffy. (oops a personal opinion...but I bet we all agree.)
Guaifenesin- is a drug that makes the icky stuff in your nose and lungs wetter, less sticky...perfect for coughing up...unless you have taken a cough suppressant.
All these drugs can be bought alone or in several different combinations. Some have alcohol added to increase the sleepiness caused by some of the drugs. All come in pills or liquids, as well as infant (birth-2), children (2-12), and adult doses.
So know your symptoms, check your medicine cupboard, have your Kleenex handy and we will all make it through cold season in harmony.
Me...I buy the one with all the drugs in it...then unless it is a wet cough...I have covered all my bases with one pill...that used to NOT taste icky till some idiot decided they should cover them in an easy to swallow toothpaste tasting gooey substance that sticks to your mouth if you swallow them with water. (oops I tried to keep all political opinions to myself in this writing...but...)
