The NHS has some advice for anyone who is currently struck down with the ‘brutal’ cold that is sweeping the UK.
With winter well and truly here, loads of us are starting to get the sniffles and putting up with the odd runny nose here and there - however some unfortunate folks say they’ve been hit with a virus that has left them ‘housebound’ while dealing with symptoms including fevers, headaches, blocked noses, coughs and extreme fatigue. Not ideal.
Brits have taken to Reddit to complain about the nasty virus that is currently making its way through the country.
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One person wrote: "Just coming off the back end of a brutal cold that's lasted about 3 weeks, during which my sinuses have been almost completely closed, relaxing only for brief periods while also producing mucus at an alarming rate.
"Emerging from my bed this morning, I could breathe through my nose again. I could smell things.
"It still feels like somebody poured Ready Brek into the back of my face, but it's finally over and life is beautiful again."
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Someone else said: "I caught it in October, I was bedridden for days and then spent another week housebound, constantly looking at my phone to see if it had been 4 hours since my last dose of paracetamol."
While a third person branded it a ‘total b*****d’ that left them ‘feeling like s**t for a couple of weeks’.
If you’re one of the unlucky ones, the NHS has some advice on how to look after yourself when you have a cold.
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To help you get better more quickly, the NHS recommends you get plenty of rest and sleep; drink plenty of water - fruit juice or squash mixed with water is OK - to combat dehydration; and that adults can gargle salt water to soothe a sore throat.
It adds: “If you have a high temperature or you do not feel well enough to do your normal activities, try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until you feel better.”
The NHS also suggests speaking to a pharmacist about cold and flu medicines, including decongestants and painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen.
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According to experts, colds are now feeling more severe than in previous years due to social distancing measures introduced during the pandemic, which helped keep colds and flu at bay.
Dr. William Schaffner, infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University, told ABC News: "All of us have forgotten about what common colds used to be like, and we're getting them now again.”
Claire Reid