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| Achoo!!! |
It's that time of the year again when I am having watery eyes, runny or clogged nose, a lot of sniffing, itchy eyes and nose. I hate it when my nose is runny as it gets red and irritated with constant wiping of tissue paper. On the other side, I hate it even more when my nostrils are clogged and I had to breathe through my mouth, which causes another problem...dry throat and if I'm really running out of luck (not that I believe in luck but for lack of terms, I'd call it that), I would eventually have sore throat or worse, inflamed tonsils. On top of that, sometimes, I would feel like I'm running a fever as well. Eventually, you'll find me turning off the air conditioning unit to ward of the chill creeping over me.
I am sure you've felt like that at some point. They don't call it the common colds for nothing. But for someone who's been prone to the colds virus, like me for instance, it can really be annoying. I don't just get it during the cold months. House dust triggers it for me. At least, I have identified one of the culprits.
Prior to having hypertension, when I have cold spells that don't go away in three days, you'd find me at the company dispensary asking for antihistamines and other medicines for colds and even cough and sore throat...the whole gamut of medication. And if it persists longer than a week, I could foresee the doctor writing prescriptions for antibiotics.
However, for hypertensive people, you can't just go pill popping anytime. Having this condition taught me to pay more attention to possible side effects of drugs, even the non-prescription ones. Some antihistamines for instance cause blood vessel constriction which can further elevate blood pressure.
When I started taking medication for hypertension, I am now more wary of the other medicines I take. I always check with the doctor if it's alright to take this and that when I am also taking Losartan for high blood pressure maintenance. Antihistamines and decongestants were practically my best friends before. But now, I have parted ways with them. I've resorted to more natural means such as water and lots of sleep. So far, I have coped with cold spells. In fact, the only other medicine I take aside from Losartan is mefenamic acid, for that time of the month when I am literally writhing in extreme pain. As much as I can, I try do do away with medicines. After all, the body is equipped with a healing mechanism. So whenever I can manage it, I try to wait for the body's natural healing to kick in before I interfere.
As a rule of thumb, and they keep reminding us of this: To never self-prescribe drugs, even the over the counter (OTC) ones. Always seek doctor's advise, particularly when you have other underlying conditions.
When I started taking medication for hypertension, I am now more wary of the other medicines I take. I always check with the doctor if it's alright to take this and that when I am also taking Losartan for high blood pressure maintenance. Antihistamines and decongestants were practically my best friends before. But now, I have parted ways with them. I've resorted to more natural means such as water and lots of sleep. So far, I have coped with cold spells. In fact, the only other medicine I take aside from Losartan is mefenamic acid, for that time of the month when I am literally writhing in extreme pain. As much as I can, I try do do away with medicines. After all, the body is equipped with a healing mechanism. So whenever I can manage it, I try to wait for the body's natural healing to kick in before I interfere.
As a rule of thumb, and they keep reminding us of this: To never self-prescribe drugs, even the over the counter (OTC) ones. Always seek doctor's advise, particularly when you have other underlying conditions.
