Prickly & Tickly Headcold (self-obs)

[MidnightCatK]

I have no recollection of being around someone who is sick within the past week, or of any other red flags, but yesterday I awoke feeling "off". You know that feeling. The one where you know something just isn't right. You're not congested, but your nose feels a bit more sensitive, and your throat isn't sore, it just feels strange. Well, I used an at-home Covid test, and that revealed that whatever this was wasn't that. With that in mind, I still went to my internship site and about my day, but things started getting worse by the late afternoon. By then I had bought some cold/flu meds and vitamins to help, but it was too late. Congestion was seeping in, ESPECIALLY in my right sinus, for some reason. I was trying to work on a paper for school, but concentrating was hard. I would be fine for a moment, and the next felt as though something was moving about up in there. It was prickly and tickled enough to be unnerving, but not always enough to sneeze. Irritated, I gave up writing the paper and took some Nyquil before climbing into bed.

The cold medicine did its job wonderfully, and I slept soundly through the night. When I awoke the next morning, I felt SIGNIFICANTLY better. Everything was clearer, and I had much more energy. I still called off to prevent spreading things to the older adults I work with, but I was optimistic that the worst had past.

It had not. Not more than a couple hours after waking, it was as if someone had filled a water balloon in my sinuses. My right side, AGAIN, chose to be the most problematic. The same tickly sensation as the night before reappeared time and time again. Being of the imaginative variety, I visualized a fuzzy caterpillar nesting up there, brushing up against every sensitive spot before relaxing in place, only to change positions minutes later and cause me agony again and again. At this point, my nose was dripping to boot. The tickle would now slide with the mucous, teasing from my right sinus down to the brim of my nostril. It was often enough to make my breath hitch, but, not being into my own sneezes, I'd frantically blow my nose and try to wipe it away.

While attending class online (I had let my professor know about my predicament), I kept my camera and audio off. It would be rather embarrassing for my classmates to see me sitting there with a wad of tissue shoved up my nose, which sufficed to stop it from dripping and tickling too much. When I briefly unmuted myself to have a small discussion, I removed it. My classmates chattered away after I added my opinion, only to go silent as they heard a loud "EH'SHOUUU!" explode over the computer's speakers. I had forgotten to mute myself again, which I didn't realize until a voice I recognized as a friend said "Bless you!". By this point, I had been sneezing at least once every 30 minutes, a pattern that has continued the rest of this night. Even as I write this, my right nostril is plugged once more with a tissue. The tickle is still there, no matter how I approach it, and I am exhausted. Although I enjoy reading stories of others experiencing these symptoms, I certainly do not like to be in their shoes.

[Cici]

Awww, I hope you feel better soon. 

[MidnightCatK]

On 4/8/2022 at 10:46 PM, Cici said:

Awww, I hope you feel better soon. 

Thank you! Today was the first day that I could breathe through my nose again. That was certainly one of the worst headcolds I've ever had, and I'm happy to be feeling well again!

[sneezeaholic27]

This sounds like exactly what I have right now. I was just thinking to myself on Sunday that this has to be one of the worst head colds I’ve had. Feel better!