There is a reason I named this blog Kristie’s Craziness. It’s because I wanted to write something that feels real rather than something that’s focused and moves on a linear path. In my experience, life is crazy. It changes direction often, and you just need to roll with it.

Case in point: I had planned to spend the rest of the month filling your feed with fun last minute Halloween countdown posts. Instead, I woke up with a barking cough, a throat that feels like I swallowed razor blades and body aches so bad that I don’t want to move. 😷🤒 So I thought I’d take a new path and look into what’s going around.

Any parent knows that when summer ends the kids go back to school, germs start flying and the whole house gets sick.

Top 4 Common Autumn Illnesses

The Common Cold

Believe it or not, sometimes when you get sick, it’s just a cold. After all the COVID lockdowns and deaths in 2020 people went into panic mode and treated every sniffle like the black plague. It’s semi understandable, but unnecessary.

Symptoms of the Common Cold

• Congestion
• Coughing
• Headache
• Runny/Stuffy Nose
• Sneezing
• Sore Throat
• Watery Eyes

A good indicator that it’s just a cold is that your symptoms feel centrally located above the neck. You may be contagious, even if you’re “feeling better” so be vigilant with hand sanitizer and personal space.

COVID-19

Covid is weird because symptoms vary in severity and in general as well. My husband and I both had it at the same time in 2021, but with very different issues. He had a cough and slept for what felt like a week. I had the cough, and a fever but bounced back a little quicker. It’s never a bad idea to get tested if you have concerns

Possible COVID Symptoms

• Body Aches
• Congestion/Runny Nose
• Cough
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Fever/Chills
• Headache
• Loss of Taste/Smell
• Nausea/Vomiting
• Shortness of Breath/Difficulty Breathing
• Sore Throat

COVID cases are expected to rise again as the weather gets colder. Be vigilant about how you are feeling and take care of yourself.

The Flu

Flu season starts in October, so now is a good time to get your flu shot. I schedule my daughters’ physicals for this month instead of in the spring where their birthdays are so they can get theirs.

Flu Symptoms

• Body Aches
• Cough
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Possible Fever
• Sore Throat
• Stuffy/Runny Nose
• Vomiting and Diarrhea (more common in children than adults)

Getting a flu shot does not guarantee that you won’t get the flu. It should lessen the severity of your symptoms, which is important if you or your child have underlying conditions like asthma, autoimmune disorders or spend a lot of time with elderly grandparents who can’t fight off the virus as well anymore.

RSV and Bronchiolitis

This is what my daughter had a week ago and is more than likely what I have now. This virus shares many symptoms with the common cold but leads to more breathing restrictions and tightness in your chest.

RSV Symptoms

• Coughing that can lead to wheezing
• Decreased Appetite
• Fatigue
• Runny Nose

I’ve been using my inhalers more often while I deal with this round of illness. I’m also pushing a lot of fluids and making sure to rest. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day.

Take care of yourselves.

Kristie