Bronchitis

[Lewis Moon]

Crap. A cold I had last week has metastasised into bronchitis. It's playing hell with my training. Any strategies for getting rid of it?

[Tickdoc]

sorry to hear that. food and rest. Codeine helps too, as it is a great cough suppressant, so long as you don't keep up with it after you are well.

Everyone around me has either strep/flu/bronchitis/or some form of crud. I feel like I'm walking on eggshells and using hand sanitizer like crazy.

Get well soon.

http://www.prevention.com/sites/prevention.com/files/styles/article_main_image_2200px/public/images/articles/featured_images/chicken-soup-628x363.JPG?itok=OxjLUZzn

[Lewis Moon]

sorry to hear that. food and rest. Codeine helps too, as it is a great cough suppressant, so long as you don't keep up with it after you are well.

Everyone around me has either strep/flu/bronchitis/or some form of crud. I feel like I'm walking on eggshells and using hand sanitizer like crazy.

Get well soon.

http://www.prevention.com/sites/prevention.com/files/styles/article_main_image_2200px/public/images/articles/featured_images/chicken-soup-628x363.JPG?itok=OxjLUZzn

Thanks. The real problem is that it's drawn down to a low ebb where I actually feel OKish (I'm not missing work) but I'm still consistently yacking up goo and it doesn't seem to want to get better than that. My sis is a doc and she's coming in tonight so I'll check in with her.

[kppolich]

First lets define bronchitis- Inflamed lining of your bronchi or the tubes that carry air to your lungs. A big swollen bronchi tube, then add on mucus and you have even less air flowing through those tubes to your lungs. Now your body has to work harder to get the same amount of o2 in your lungs by breathing harder and more frequent.

I would avoid any cough suppressants, especially nyquil. Reason: they have bene known to dry out your throat, cause throat bleeding, and worsen your bronchitis

See a doctor, they'll give you a prescription and probably a puffer with some Albuterol. This will relax those breathing muscles, open the airways and get more air to your lungs.

[paredown]

Well, the major "chest cold" that dragged me down last spring was actually walking pneumonia--took a round of antibiotics to get the healing started.

Worth checking in with a doc...

[Lewis Moon]

Well, the major "chest cold" that dragged me down last spring was actually walking pneumonia--took a round of antibiotics to get the healing started.

Worth checking in with a doc...

Yeah..I'm worried about that.

[joosttx]

Yeah..I'm worried about that.

There is something very bad going around. I got it before Christmas cured it with rest and strong antioboitics. Few years ago I tried to push through but ended up being sick for about two months ending with walking pneumonia.

[weisan]

Lewis pal, are you under more stress than normal?

[572cv]

I know this malady very well, sad to say. Just clearing it out after at least 3 weeks. It is one of the nastiest, most persistent dry hacking, coughing events I have encountered in years. Nose running like proverbial faucet. Cough at times uncontrollable to the extent that my head ached. Flat on my back for a few days here and there. Ennui, no energy.

Codeine cough syrup helps with the sleep. Lots of liquid. Chicken soup, yes! Herbal tea, juice.... vitamins and lots of rest. Some people are presenting with pneumonia after the major part of the onslaught, so monitor carefully and see your primary care physician if you are concerned.

But, it does seem to clear, slowly and grudgingly, fighting back with spasms and surprise for days. But each day is a tiny bit better. At this halting rate, I should be more or less in normal health in another week.

So, this "cold/bronchial perturbation", which is all over the country thanks to jet travel, does clear up. It is just noticeably worse than most of these things, IMHO. Hope everybody is doing better.

[Lewis Moon]

Lewis pal, are you under more stress than normal?

Um...yeah. Wife with cancer, Giant Orange Toddler freezing funding that pays my salary, workplace adopting a business model to manage scientists, daughter got her learner's permit...

Thanks for asking Pal. ...and I owe you a hub.

[benb]

I had a super bad cough back at the beginning of December, missed 3 days of work and close to 2 weeks of workouts. Never had a fever though so didn't go to the doctor.

I assume since you say you have Bronchitis you've been to a doctor? If not go, you'll probably get meds if you really have it. Not something to fool around with.

2X I had Sinus infections without going to see the doctor. So dumb of me. Talk about losing a lot of fitness. I've had 4 of them in my life, the second two I went to the doctor and they put me on antibiotics and it cleared right up. I've never had another one since we addressed humidity in our house thankfully.

[tctyres]

OTC drugs, rest, fluids (soup + herbal/green/black teas).
If it gets worse or persists, see a doctor. If you have a fever in addition to what you had last week, it might be worth seeing a doctor.

I had laryngitis the first week of Jan., so no riding. The green tea was a big help, but I still have a weak voice box two weeks out, though my voice has returned. Jan is sort of a wash right now for me.

[notsew]

I've been having a really hard time staying healthy this winter. Every time I get over something, it seems like I start to get something new. I think I've felt 100% for about two weeks since October. It made for a rough cx season. Overall its been a depressing winter, and I feel like I lost a ton of fitness that I had in October.


The last month or so I've been taking a ton of vitamin C and trying to just sleep a lot when I start feeling something coming on (like going to bed at 7:30-8) its been helping, but I barely feel like I'm staying ahead of it.

[Lewis Moon]

I've been having a really hard time staying healthy this winter. Every time I get over something, it seems like I start to get something new. I think I've felt 100% for about two weeks since October. It made for a rough cx season. Overall its been a depressing winter, and I feel like I lost a ton of fitness that I had in October.


The last month or so I've been taking a ton of vitamin C and trying to just sleep a lot when I start feeling something coming on (like going to bed at 7:30-8) its been helping, but I barely feel like I'm staying ahead of it.

Yup. Same here.

[azrider]

Ain't nobody got time for that

[weisan]

Lewis pal, thanks for sharing those details. I will be thinking about you...take care my friend, you don't owe me anything...:D

[HenryA]

I had it early December, as did several co-workers. One overnighted in hospital when it got bad. I got so bad tha the next morning at about 2 AM, I laid there thinking "this is how I"ll go when I get old and feeble and get sick for that last final time."

That was nasty enough for me to go to the doctor early rather than later. (Ok, sorta early for me). Dr. said "out of the last 10 patients I've seen, its been 9 with pneumonia - do you want antibiotics now or later?" Went for the antibiotics and an inhaler. The inhaler really helped my breathing.

I was well for Christmas.

But the old rule still applies:

Above the neck you can ride, below the neck you have to rest.

[Lewis Moon]

But the old rule still applies:

Above the neck you can ride, below the neck you have to rest.

I'll remember that.

[gemship]

Another recommendation for the Albuterol inhaler. It made living with bronchitis a lot more bearable. Saying this after living with it for six months and having a three day say in the hospital because of it. I think my body always wanted to heal itself but I work outside and I never really stopped working unless the weather got so bad which it did and to my benefit for healing. So yeah lots of bed rest when possible, antibiotics but I would say definitely get the inhaler.

[bigman]

Many times bronchitis is misdiagnosed, many upper respirator ailments even in winter can be allergy related. Ask your doc about a steroidal nasl spray as well.

[Bentley]

Sorry to hear about your spouse, I am sure that is enough to deal with besides the changes at a federal level. My sense is some of this will blow over, dont worry stuff you cant affect or control

Rest, the bike will be there when you are feeling better

all the best

Ray

[kunfuzion]

antibiotics and sleeping with a humidifier works well.

[Plum Hill]

Go to a doctor, not a forum.

[Ray]

But the old rule still applies:

Above the neck you can ride, below the neck you have to rest.

And gravity being what it is, what's above the neck usually migrates to below the neck for some of us. Any sinus infection I ever have drips down into my asthmatic lungs within a few days and causes congestion and coughing and sometimes wheezing that doesn't clear itself out and I always end up on anti-biotics and prednisone. The treatment sucks but it's the only option that works.

Fortunately it's a rare occurrence - seems like once every year or two - but when it happens I go straight to the doc to start the treatment before it gets too entrenched in my lungs. I can just about write my own prescriptions now. It was much worse and more frequent before I had sinus surgery almost 17 years ago - more or less a chronic condition in those days, and I was riding a LOT back then, or trying to...

Take care of it and get well - difficulty breathing sucks...

-Ray

[oldpotatoe]

Um...yeah. Wife with cancer, Giant Orange Toddler freezing funding that pays my salary, workplace adopting a business model to manage scientists, daughter got her learner's permit...

Thanks for asking Pal. ...and I owe you a hub.

:help:

Take care of yourself so you can take care of them..heal quickly. Good thoughts your way. Rest, fluids, see a MD.

[Lewis Moon]

Saw a very competent PA yesterday. Now taking horse pill sized antibiotics. Thanks all.

[JAllen]

Saw a very competent PA yesterday. Now taking horse pill sized antibiotics. Thanks all.

Good to hear that you're on the mend.

Everyone in my family here was hit hard with this cough/flu/cold thing going around. I wasn't able to dodge it myself. Still have a gnarly cough...

[benb]

Definitely worth getting a hygrometer and checking humidity levels in your house during the winter.

Installing good quality humidifiers can make a huge difference in the severity of these types of illnesses!

[JAllen]

Definitely worth getting a hygrometer and checking humidity levels in your house during the winter.

Installing good quality humidifiers can make a huge difference in the severity of these types of illnesses!

Good tip. What should levels be at?

[benb]

Depends on how cold it is but they say 40-50% is ideal for health.

You can't hit those #s if it gets REALLY cold. (Like into the single digits fahrenheit)

But my house would be in the 15-25% range as soon as the temps went below about 40F before we got our system addressed. We stay in that 40-50% range now most of the winter and we've probably never seen it drop below 30% since we had our humidifier installed.

My issue with the dry air was sinus infections, I had 3 from 2010-2014, I haven't had one since. Those were pretty horrible, 3+ weeks, fever for days, antibiotics, in 2014 I was sneezing blood.

We've got an Aprilaire one, I want to say it's about 20-25 gallons per day. The in-room ones we had before that were not effective at all.. they would raise the humidity by a few percentage points, and they required tons of cleaning or they were just spewing bacteria/mold into the air.

[bitpuddle]

Um...yeah. Wife with cancer, Giant Orange Toddler freezing funding that pays my salary, workplace adopting a business model to manage scientists, daughter got her learner's permit...

Life stress and training stress are experienced the same way in your body. Don't be afraid to dial back training intensity when life stress spikes.

The toddler isn't going away any time soon, but I hope the other issues work out.

[shovelhd]

Please stop the political talk.

If the junk coming up is loose and wet, you've got to rest. This is a good time to back off on the aerobics and spend some time working on strength. Within reason, of course. Your fitness wil bounce back very quickly. And don't forget to check GlobalDRO for any restricted medicines, and take the proper action if necessary.