Blow, Blow, Blow Your Nose

As my nose continues to pour and I wish I had stock in Kimberly-Clark, I find myself wondering just what causes all of this stuff to want to escape your body when you have a cold. This springtime virus, which is probably just a variation on the common cold, has me conjoined to a box of Kleenex as my constant nose-blowing is punctuated by an explosive sneeze or an occasional cough.

I posed this question to my friend Reya, who has a treasure trove of knowledge about how the body works gleaned from her studies to be a massage therapist. She made sense of the many ways my body is fighting this nasty bug.

Toxins are constantly being excreted as a result of the infection. It’s the job of mucous in our noses and sneezes and coughs to carry them away. This is one reason hand-washing is so imperative so as not to spread the cold germs.

She also explained that taking antihistamines that tend to slow down a runny nose can have the effect of trapping the toxins and causing sinus infections. I believe I’ll opt for a runny nose, given that alternative.

I keep wondering if I will run out of “liquid” to produce the mucous that continues to drip out of my nose. Maybe that’s why I’m constantly thirsty.

I think I’ll go pop another vitamin C and make a big cup of herbal tea as I put my feet up once again to work on my book. That’s about all the energy I can muster for this day.