Is it a Cold, the Flu, or Coronavirus?
For months we’ve all been reading and hearing about a resurgence of the coronavirus combined with the flu. So…what does this mean?
Every year I hear the same question at the beginning of flu season: HOW DO YOU KNOW WHETHER IT’S A COLD OR THE FLU? This season, the question is a little different: HOW DO YOU KNOW WHETHER IT’S A COLD OR THE FLU OR CORONAVIRUS?
There are some real differences.
Fever is rare with a cold. Fever is common with the flu. It’s usually high and lasts three or four days.
Headaches are rare with a cold but common with the flu.
Cold sufferers may have slight aches and pains. Flu sufferers have definite aches and pains which may be severe.
Extreme fatigue and/or weakness is just not a factor with a cold. Exhaustion is common with the flu – especially at the onset of the illness.
Sore throat, stuffy nose, and sneezing are common with a cold. A person suffering with a cold may have mild symptoms to include a hacking cough. With the flu, these symptoms can become severe.
With colds, treatment includes antihistamines, decongestants. With the flu, the patient needs to consult with a physician about any needed medication.
Coronavirus complicates things.
Many people experience fever as the first symptom of Coronavirus.
The second symptom is often a combination of a cough and muscle pain.
Nausea and vomiting make up the third tier.
These symptoms are usually followed by diarrhea.
And, that’s not all. Some people experience a loss of taste or smell.
And, some people experience deeply reddish-blue toes (chillblains).
Others have headache and dizziness.
The bottom line here is that coronavirus has many symptoms while colds and flu
are much less complicated.
If you suspect coronavirus, go get tested. Waiting around while you try to decide you are sick and contagious or not is not good for you and it’s not good for those around you.
There are several tools at your disposal which can help you early on.
A thermometer is essential. Take your temperature daily.
When I’m out in the community, my temperature is the key to getting into the office where I have an appointment.
The no-touch forehead fever thermometer gun has become ubiquitous on receptionists’ desks wherever I go.
There’s no reason why you shouldn’t take your temperature every morning. Your temperature can accompany your blood pressure reading. You can keep your thermometer gun beside your blood pressure cuff.
Then, you only need one other item: a pulse oximeter. A pulse oximeter estimates the amount of oxygen in your blood.
If you have coronavirus, your pulse oximeter will register a lower oxygen level in your body. This is because with coronavirus, your lungs are inflamed. (Actually, with coronavirus, inflammation is all over your body).
So, if you are concerned about your health because you may become exposed to coronavirus, you can help yourself with your temperature, your blood pressure, and your oxygen level.
If you feel ill, you will help your healthcare professional with these three scores.
For those who aren’t really familiar with an oximeter, it is the little plastic clip placed on your finger when you get your blood pressure measured.
These devices are not that expensive, are easy to use, and you can find an explanatory chart which will explain the meaning of the score.
Whatever you decide, prevention is important. Wash your hands often, wear a mask always when you leave your home, use hand sanitizer and don’t go anywhere around other people if you can help it.
Thanks for reading this blog post. If you liked this article, please forward it to your favorite social media networks.
Thanks again,
Thurman Greco
Maintain Your Good Health: Some Guidelines
For me, much disease is preventable when you maintain your good health. Staying healthy doesn’t take a lot of time. Small changes can make big differences.
Positive lifestyle habits contribute to a lifetime of good health. This blog is filled with suggestions. Throughout our lives we all make choices about how we are going to live our lives on a day to day basis. These choices directly impact how and when our lives will end.
Developing a working relationship with your healthcare professional is essential. Many people enjoy good health for years and feel they don’t need a doctor. This can’t be further from the truth. When an accident or illness strikes, you need to know a health care professional, his/her contact information, and you need to have had an appointment within the last year.
People who are never sick haven’t a clue about what to do when a bone is broken or a head is concussed. They don’t speak hospital and they suddenly find themselves in a foreign land unable to read the directional signs.
Become aware of your body and how it works. Know what to do when medical attention is needed. Learn first aid skills.
Learn to get a healthy night’s sleep. Sleep is a core element of your good health. It goes right along with knowing about your body and how it works. Now, add healthy eating and good physical activity. When you combine these stepping stones, you have a basic plan to maintain your wellness.
For me, there are several causes of disease. Some are nutritional. The first nutritional cause of disease is created by DEFICIENCIES in your diet. Culprits here are sugar, white flour, processed foods, and added chemicals.
Half our population has DIGESTIVE ISSUES. Many people have resigned themselves to living with them for the remainder of their lives. Your body is made to heal your digestive issues because you have a built in abdominal brain which communicates with your cranial brain when there’s a problem.
This is where prebiotics and probiotics come in. And where things like regular reflexology sessions enter the picture. And Reiki therapy. And chakra healing. Appropriate bodywork has a place in maintaining your health and wellness life.
Our bodies can be toxic, all the way down to your CELLULAR LEVEL. Read the labels on the foods you buy. If you can’t pronounce a word or words you read on the ingredients list, put the item back on the shelf.
CHRONIC INFLAMMATION is big on the list of cause of disease. As you work to develop good health, you’ll get up close and personal with chronic inflammation if you go about this the right way.
When it comes to your good health, it all comes down to this: Eat whole foods. Eat nuts. Use olive oils. Eat grass fed meats.
A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE will age you as fast as anything. As I walk down a sidewalk, I see people who move and those who can’t. Be the one who moves, not the one who doesn’t . 10,000 steps every day is a good start.
POOR SLEEP HABITS are huge on the list of habits which cause disease. Sleep regenerates. Sleep organizes. Sleep rehabilitates. Sleep is therapy.
Get enough of it.
When it comes to PRESCRIPTIVE AND OVER THE COUNTER MEDICINES, take only the minimum you need. The same holds true for medicinal herbs. The bottom line is that anything that can change your body for the better can also change it for the worse if it’s not appropriate for you, your health issues, your body, your age.
We all need a reason to get up in the morning – every morning. SMILES are necessary to your good health.
SOME BASIC WELLNESS GUIDELINES:
Good quality, nourishing food is essential. This statement does not promote one diet for all. The diet nourishing you may not nourish me at all.
The part of the statement, good quality, is the one size for all part. In order that what you eat does the best for your wellness, health, and physical fitness, it must be good quality.
Pure air and water are essential.
All of us need adequate warmth and shelter.
We each need a reason to get up every day.
Balancing work, play, and rest is important.
Everyone needs a positive sense of self worth. We all need positive feelings about our spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical selves.
Thank you for reading this post. Please forward it to your favorite social media network.
Enjoy your continued good health!
Thurman Greco
