Self-diagnosis: The grand tradition of being your own inept doctor

As I enter my third day of being truly and awfully sick it came to mind that I wasn’t sure if this was just a bad cold or the flu, so I did what any like-minded person would do: I searched the web.

WebMD’s guide compares the symptoms of each and the results are inconclusive:

Symptoms Cold Flu
Fever Rare Characteristic, high
(100-102 degrees F); lasts three to four days
Headache Rare Prominent
General Aches, Pains Slight Usual; often severe
Fatigue, Weakness Quite mild Can last up to two to three weeks
Extreme Exhaustion Never Early and prominent
Stuffy Nose Common Sometimes
Sneezing Usual Sometimes
Sore Throat Common Sometimes
Chest Discomfort,
Cough
Mild to moderate;
hacking cough
Common; can become severe
Complications Sinus congestion
or earache
Bronchitis, pneumonia;
can be life-threatening
Prevention Good hygiene Annual flu shot or FluMist
Treatment Only
temporary
relief of symptoms
Antiviral drugs (Tamiflu or
or Relenza) within 24-48 hours
of onset

I haven’t had a fever, though I have had periods of feeling too warm/too cold. I have had an on/off headache (a bit of one right now, in fact) and weakness…well, let’s say the idea of replicating Saturday’s 20 km walk is not exactly a tantalizing prospect at the moment. The only things I have to treat the symptoms right now are Nyquil and sodium-encrusted noodle soup. I’ll take what I can get.

The problem with doing the thing I most want to — lay down and doze — is that my sinuses are so clogged up that reclining makes it nearly impossible to breathe. Perhaps a nice warm bath would help. Or some miracle pill invented by science.

Get to work, scientists! And deliver direct to door, please.

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