It doesn’t matter if I’m a student, teacher or parent, after a few weeks of school being back in session, germs smack me in the face. But this year I caught a cold and then got better in a week without it turning into an infection. That might not seem like something to brag about, but for me it’s huge.
My husband says that my immune system is as strong as a wet paper bag. The root cause is I’m allergic to dust, dust mites and things that grow. Last year I had pneumonia, a sinus infection, flu strain B and multiple bouts with bronchitis. Basically, as soon as I was exposed to a germ, I’d collapse on the floor in a puddle of snotty tissues and beg someone to throw chicken soup at me.
I am so terrified of cold and flu season knocking me down this year, that I purchased a Vicks personal steam inhaler. Steam-cleaning my lungs is my new hobby.
What’s a personal steam inhaler? It’s a small plastic device with a soft face mask that covers your nose and mouth. Drug stores sell them in the humidifier section.
You pour in a little bit of water, plug the device in and wait for it to bubble. Then you sit there for 10 to 20 minutes, looking ridiculous and fending off inappropriate jokes from your family about your “vaping habit.” The humidity forces congestion out of your lungs and soothes your sore throat.
Doctors have advised me for years to use a steam inhaler, or to take a steamy shower and run a humidifier when I’m sick. I followed the showering and humidifying advice, but never bothered with the steam inhaler until now. Steam inhalers cost about $40 — and that seemed expensive. Plus, wasn’t the shower and humidifier just as good? It turns out that for me personally, that answer is no.
Also not as good is the DIY version of a steam inhaler, which is to hold your face over a bowl of hot water and tent your head with a towel. This makes your entire face wet, whereas the steam inhaler just targets your nose and mouth.
Now, there are some drawbacks of the steam inhaler besides the cost and your family making fun of you. Steam cleaning your lungs is incredibly boring. If you wear glasses, you can’t see anything because the steam fogs up the lenses. You can’t watch TV because you’re poised at an awkward angle. All you can do is sit there and threaten anyone who attempts to take your picture.
After one week of fighting my common cold with sleep, fluids, healthy foods and my steam inhaler, I recovered in time to take my Girl Scout troop camping. Hallelujah! Hopefully this cold and flu season congestion won’t fester in my lungs, because now I have a better tool to flush it out.
Jennifer Bardsley publishes books under her own name and the pseudonym Louise Cypress. Find her online on Instagram @the_ya_gal, on Twitter @jennbardsley or on Facebook as The YA Gal.
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