coughhackcough

November 16, 2006 at 1:13 PM

My dear friends,
I am afraid the good Lord has tired from my constant nagging at him ("c'mon...just this ONE competition...) and hath decided to smite my voice once and for all. I've been hacking and coughing for the last week but yesterday I had the Father of all Sore Throats and today, I believe I either have some sort of infection from post nasal drip or perhaps strep throat.
Oh the agony!!! And here I am, waiting to fill my lungs with the sweet aroma of toxic fumes in chemistry lab. I'm already wheezing, I don't need HCL in my bronchial tubes along with the gunk already amassed.
As I also suspect I am running a fever, I do believe I will retire early tonight...I spent all yesterday evening sipping daintily (okay, gulping noisily) at three (okay, five) mugs of jasmine tea and spent an hour in a steam bath/shower (which made me look like a sunburned tomato).
Of course, I have an orchestra concert and massive solo in Offenbach this weekend. My standpartner probably hasn't been practicing it(I'm assumed to be invulnerable to disease, being the concertmaster)so I must go. I have to recover.
If any of you know get-well-quick tips beside hot tea, gargling with listerine, steam baths, and two bags of Ricola cough drops (can you get high on menthol?) I would be most appreciative before I resort to removing my throat.

From jennifer steinfeldt warren
Posted on November 16, 2006 at 3:56 PM

Eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree,...
I don't know if you have oils, but they can be very healing. Tea is good. Try some honey, lemon and vinegar in it. With your steam baths, add some epsom salts for your achy body, and a few drops of some type of oil that opens the bronchial passageway. For your sinuses, boil some water on the stove with something phenol or camphorish, so that the oil or (sometimes I just use small amounts of soap or the vapour solution made by "vicks"). Keet it at a simmer and careful not to have the water boiling while the oil is in it, or it might POP and get everywhere.
Menthol patches on your forehead, chest, cheeks...
I assume it is possible to get high on too much menthol, because it is toxic in large amounts (consumed). But it is preferrable to using something like TYLENOL COLD/FLU, which has DM and other ingredients in it that will make playing a concert a dizzying experience.
Some herbs that should help are: Thyme, goldenseal, zinc, vitamin C (not really an herb, but..)dandilion...

Take good care of your nose and throat. Flush your nasal cavity out with water only, and drink a lot of vitamin enriched juices (not punch), with real fruit as the main ingredient.

Hope this helps! Good luck.
JW

From Terez Mertes
Posted on November 16, 2006 at 5:22 PM

Yucko. No suggestions, just sending well wishes.

From jennifer steinfeldt warren
Posted on November 16, 2006 at 5:56 PM

I forgot to say that if you use any kind of menthol-ish stuff on your sinuses, particularly patches, be careful to not get it in your eyes. And don't use extra strength menthol patches on your face, either.

Just had the memory of when I did that once, and didn't want to be giving bad suggestions!!! The mild ones, or a cloth dipped in some cold water with a few drops would feel good.

From parmeeta bhogal
Posted on November 16, 2006 at 7:00 PM

ginger juice mixed with honey. Grate fresh ginger (a small piece) and squeeze to get out the juice. Mix with honey and little warm water if you wish...otherwise the ginger can taste quite strong. Take several times a day.
For relief from cough, chopped onion left in a plate in your bedroom when you sleep (but warn you, it will then smell of kitchen!!)
Fennel seeds and cardamons added to the teawater are good in a cold.

From jennifer steinfeldt warren
Posted on November 16, 2006 at 9:50 PM

Buri likes Prunes. I like Fennel.
(not the smell, or the taste)Licorice.
But works like a charm..

Sals,
JW

From jennifer steinfeldt warren
Posted on November 16, 2006 at 9:51 PM

If you don't have fresh ginger, you can put ONE drop of ginger essential oil in a cup of hot water and make a tea of it. Just one drop, though.
JW

From Stephen Brivati
Posted on November 16, 2006 at 10:44 PM

Greetings,
what you are trying to do is push a lot of crap up and out. So take a hot bath but only let the water up to your waist. Use ecalyptus oil drops in the water.
Then make a ginger root drink by cutting up a large fresh root and boiling it in abotu a litre of water for thirty minutes. the resultign liquid wilk blow your head off . To prevent gagging add as much honey as you want.Then get under twnety or thiry blankets and just sweat like viola player faced with a two note solo.
Avoid all diary products.
It is not actually that good an idea to take Listerine. This kills -all- the bacteria in the throat ioncluding the good stuff you wnat to keep.
An alternative is natural sea salt from a helath store. That`s a very healthy gargle.
Cheers,
Buri

From Neil Cameron
Posted on November 17, 2006 at 1:35 AM

Well I guess some of the "cures" posted above at least aren't overly dangerous. I will admit to being somewhat amazed when someone would seek and accept medical advice on a violin site. Shrug.

Get well soon.

Neil

From Sydney M.
Posted on November 17, 2006 at 4:00 AM

Well, Hahn recommends getting your tonsils removed... ;-)

*see Darcy's blog*

From Stephen Brivati
Posted on November 17, 2006 at 4:40 AM

Greetings,
personally I would be amazed when would seek and accept medicla advice from a hospital.;)
Cheers,
Buri

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on November 17, 2006 at 8:22 AM

I hope you feel better soon.

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