Sunday, March 05, 2006
Winter Bugs or Sickness
So lately I have been out of commission due to a flu bug and strep throat. I woke up in the middle of the night last Thursday with what felt like a rock in the back of my throat. My throat was very dry and sore. I had the chills and a high fever.
Lucky for me I already had a doctor's appointment for later Friday afternoon. I went to my doctor and he told me I had strep and he gave me a prescription for some kind of throat gargle and penicillin.
It took till Sunday for my fever to break. And I just got my voice back yesterday.
There have been so many people down this year with some kind of flu or sore throat. I decided I needed to look up the definitions to some key words. I always use the Webster Dictionary when I look up words.
The first word I chose to look up was Common Cold, Flu, which lead to Influenza. And because the doctor said he was going to treat me for a Strep throat I thought I should also look up what that means.
So there you have it a very comprehensive look at the definitions to winter bugs they call common cold, flu, strep and others that arrived from the original three I was looking up. If I had to sum it up in layman's terms I would just have to say I had a high fever, a very inflamed sore throat, with the chill, and a common cold that is following now that I am over the flu, & strep. I guess what this means is total rest, staying away from others so they do not get what we have, lots of fluids, popsicles. Snuggle in for a short hopefully winters nap.
common cold
Function: noun
1: an acute disease of the upper respiratory tract that is marked by inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose, throat, eyes, and eustachian tubes and by a watery then purulent discharge and is caused by any of several viruses (as a rhinovirus or an adenovirus)
flu
Function: noun
Etymology: by shortening
1 : INFLUENZA
2 : any of several virus diseases marked especially by respiratory symptoms
Influenza
Function: noun
Etymology: Italian, literally, influence, from Medieval Latin influentia; from the belief that epidemics were due to the influence of the stars
1a: an acute highly contagious disease caused by any of several single-stranded RNA viruses (family Orthomyxoviridae) and characterized by sudden onset, fever, prostration, severe aches and pains, and progressive inflammation of the respiratory mucous membrane; broadly
b: a human respiratory infection of undetermined cause
2 : any of numerous febrile usually virus diseases of domestic animals marked by respiratory symptoms, inflammation of mucous membranes, and often systemic involvement
inflammation
Function: noun
1 : a local response to cellular injury that is marked by capillary dilatation, leukocytic infiltration, redness, heat, and pain and that serves as a mechanism initiating the elimination of noxious agents and of damaged tissue
2 : the act of inflaming : the state of being inflamed
streptococci
Etymology: New Latin
1: any of a genus (Streptococcus) of spherical or ovoid chiefly nonmotile and parasitic gram-positive bacteria that divide only in one plane, occur in pairs or chains, and include important pathogens of humans and domestic animals; broadly
2: a coccus occurring in chains
strep throat
Function: noun
1: an inflammatory sore throat caused by hemolytic streptococci and marked by fever, prostration, and toxemia -- called also septic sore throat
prostration
Function: noun
1 a : the act of assuming a prostrate position
b : the state of being in a prostrate position : ABASEMENT
2 a : complete physical or mental exhaustion : COLLAPSE
b : the process of being made powerless or the condition of powerlessness
toxemia
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin
1: an abnormal condition associated with the presence of toxic substances in the blood
Lucky for me I already had a doctor's appointment for later Friday afternoon. I went to my doctor and he told me I had strep and he gave me a prescription for some kind of throat gargle and penicillin.
It took till Sunday for my fever to break. And I just got my voice back yesterday.
There have been so many people down this year with some kind of flu or sore throat. I decided I needed to look up the definitions to some key words. I always use the Webster Dictionary when I look up words.
The first word I chose to look up was Common Cold, Flu, which lead to Influenza. And because the doctor said he was going to treat me for a Strep throat I thought I should also look up what that means.
So there you have it a very comprehensive look at the definitions to winter bugs they call common cold, flu, strep and others that arrived from the original three I was looking up. If I had to sum it up in layman's terms I would just have to say I had a high fever, a very inflamed sore throat, with the chill, and a common cold that is following now that I am over the flu, & strep. I guess what this means is total rest, staying away from others so they do not get what we have, lots of fluids, popsicles. Snuggle in for a short hopefully winters nap.
common cold
Function: noun
1: an acute disease of the upper respiratory tract that is marked by inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose, throat, eyes, and eustachian tubes and by a watery then purulent discharge and is caused by any of several viruses (as a rhinovirus or an adenovirus)
flu
Function: noun
Etymology: by shortening
1 : INFLUENZA
2 : any of several virus diseases marked especially by respiratory symptoms
Influenza
Function: noun
Etymology: Italian, literally, influence, from Medieval Latin influentia; from the belief that epidemics were due to the influence of the stars
1a: an acute highly contagious disease caused by any of several single-stranded RNA viruses (family Orthomyxoviridae) and characterized by sudden onset, fever, prostration, severe aches and pains, and progressive inflammation of the respiratory mucous membrane; broadly
b: a human respiratory infection of undetermined cause
2 : any of numerous febrile usually virus diseases of domestic animals marked by respiratory symptoms, inflammation of mucous membranes, and often systemic involvement
inflammation
Function: noun
1 : a local response to cellular injury that is marked by capillary dilatation, leukocytic infiltration, redness, heat, and pain and that serves as a mechanism initiating the elimination of noxious agents and of damaged tissue
2 : the act of inflaming : the state of being inflamed
streptococci
Etymology: New Latin
1: any of a genus (Streptococcus) of spherical or ovoid chiefly nonmotile and parasitic gram-positive bacteria that divide only in one plane, occur in pairs or chains, and include important pathogens of humans and domestic animals; broadly
2: a coccus occurring in chains
strep throat
Function: noun
1: an inflammatory sore throat caused by hemolytic streptococci and marked by fever, prostration, and toxemia -- called also septic sore throat
prostration
Function: noun
1 a : the act of assuming a prostrate position
b : the state of being in a prostrate position : ABASEMENT
2 a : complete physical or mental exhaustion : COLLAPSE
b : the process of being made powerless or the condition of powerlessness
toxemia
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin
1: an abnormal condition associated with the presence of toxic substances in the blood
# posted by Alexis @ 11:05 a.m. 
