After an apparent two-year slowdown, non-COVID respiratory viruses returned. Many of us avoided the cold or flu during a pandemic, thanks to the benefits of face masks and social distancing. However, as the barriers decrease, growth increases Seasonal illnesses – caused by rhinoviruses, respiratory syncytial viruses and other coroviruses – which are often severely damaged during the winter months.
Compared to COVID-19, the cold is not that bad, but you may still have a sore throat, stuffy nose, and weakness. Most colds last only a week, but even after recovery, the nose and sinuses can remain with sputum. And this chronic inflammation can last forever.
Otolaryngologists call this postnasal decline. When you get cold, your body makes a lot of mucus to soothe the sinuses and fight infections. This mucus does not disappear overnight – it takes time for your body to lose its immune response and accumulate sputum.
Here is what causes all this inflammation.
When a pathogen enters our airways, it attaches to the deep cells of the nose and begins to multiply. When the virus does this, it irritates our nasal passages and sinuses, causing inflammation, the doctor says. Christopher ThompsonTo an otolaryngologist Providence Mission Hospital In Orange County, California.
“It prompts your immune system to create mucus to remove the virus from your system,” Thompson said. This mucus, which builds up and creates sinus pressure, also moisturizes the irritated nose and sinuses. We actually always have mucus in the back of the throat, but the mucus created in cold weather is thicker and sticky. It turns yellow and green, a sign that our body is actually protecting against the virus.
Most people recover from a cold in about seven days, but the inflammation sometimes persists even after the infection itself is gone and you may find yourself blowing your nose or clearing your throat for a while. a week or two.
“It’s because your body makes a lot of extra mucus to eliminate the cold virus system,” Thompson says. Your body needs time to release this mucus, even if the virus itself is no longer in your system.
The amount of mucus your body makes is affected by mixed factors, including genetics, the type of virus, and the viral load you are exposed to, the doctor says. Brian KaplanAn otolaryngologist and chair of the otolaryngology department at Great Baltimore Medical Center.
Are there ways to eliminate inflammation?
Kaplan said there is no magic bullet in expelling phlegm, but there are a few tricks to speed up the process.
First: drink plenty of fluids. This will thin the mucus in the nose and sinuses and reduce its pressure.
“The goal is to increase the fluid that enters the mucosa to make it thinner and easier to drain,” Kaplan said.
Relaxation – a step that is often overlooked – is the key to helping your body recover quickly. Help your body expend more energy on recovery and less energy on other activities or activities.
Steaming a shower or using a moisturizer can thin mucus, reduce inflammation, and open up sinuses. If you have sinus pain or pressure, Thompson recommends applying a hot compress to your nose and eyes.
A nasal saline spray and nasal irrigation tool (such as a mesh jar) will also help remove sputum. There are also over-the-counter decongestants and mucolytics that can help you thin the mucus, but keep in mind how long you use them. Taking over-the-counter decongestants for more than three days can actually worsen symptoms.
If additional nasal drops do not improve within 10 days of the cold, see your doctor. Without treatment, a postnasal drip can pick up germs and become a sinus infection, so you may want to get it tested.
“The most important thing is to give your body what it needs, because it will heal after fighting the infection,” Kaplan said. “Make sure you hydrate properly, sleep hard and provide good nutrition.
Source: Huffpost
