26th November 2017
I had two ideas planned for this week’s blog but I have decided to go with a third topic, in account that it is relevant to my current situation. I am currently suffering from a cold. Blarghh. Also this blog is likely to be a bit shorter than previous ones on account of said cold reducing my concentration somewhat. Sorry about that but I hope you still enjoy and I will resume a more normal service next week all being well.
It does not matter whether you are Autistic or Neurotypical – colds make you feel lousy. It is one of those things that make us all equal with no prejudices. That would be a great thing, if it was not for the symptoms of sore throats, headaches, body aches, sneezing, sniffles, temperature, fever, chills etc. to name only the most common symptoms.
And for the record I am only discussing minor common colds here and not more serious common illnesses such as flu. People also suffer colds in different ways. I hate the term “Man Flu”. In my opinion, how well you cope with the symptoms of a cold depends on the individual. A guy I used to work with would shrug off a bad cold like it was nothing – colds that would have put me in bed for a week. Personally I am a bad patient though and I struggle with cold symptoms.
So are there any differences of suffering with a cold as an Autistic?
I do not think there is a great deal of difference to be honest, but there are a couple of differences in me that I notice. I can only speak from my own point of view here, as I have never spoken to any other Autistics about colds.
The main difference for me is that my normal level of anxiety seems to drop. I think it is like my body needs the energy to deal with the illness. Since I only have so much energy reserve, once it is redirected to tackle the sickness, it cannot be used to fuel my anxieties and worries.
Don’t get me wrong I still get stress and worries but they are much less severe. For me this is the only positive about having a cold. The problem is the symptoms of the illness don’t allow me to enjoy the anxiety reduction. Major bad eh? And when I recover from the cold the levels of worry soon return to their normal peak. If you are reading this I would love to know if anyone Autistic has the same experience.
The only other difference between Autistics and Neurotypicals suffering a cold is probably due to sensory problems. I personally struggle with temperature when I am well let alone ill. I tend to run on the hot side normally which is why Winter is a better season than Summer for me.
However, a cold can bring changes in body temperature that make it even more difficult to sensory process. I can feel cold but in an uncomfortable way – this is very strange for me and definitely not normal. It feels weird and different. Autistics can struggle with changes and this for me can be odd change.
Other sensory issues come from treatments for cold. Medicines can cause eating problems. Pills can be difficult to swallow. Ointments containing menthol etc. can trigger problems with sensory for those who struggle with smells. More persistent illnesses might mean a trip to the Doctors which for some can be a whole new level of sensory trouble leading to meltdowns. Which can be quicker to happen if you are already ill.
For example, seeing a doctor may mean a medical examination in which you, as the patient, might need to be touched. Some Autistics hate to be touched and will quickly meltdown.
I try to avoid taking medicines when ill with a cold. The main reason being is that I already take anxiety medicine and worry about any drug interactions that the cold medicine might have. At most I will take paracetamol but the multi-drug cold and flu remedies quite frankly are not worth the worry. Again I can only speak from my personal experiences of this, but when suffering a cold I feel a little disadvantaged.
I see people “dose” themselves up with all sorts of over the counter drugs at the first sign of a cold. I just cannot – it is too worrying. Will there be drug interaction? Will it make me drowsy, especially if I have to drive? Will it upset my stomach conditions? I would prefer my body to heal on its own.
Other than these two points I do not believe there are any differences between Autistic colds and Neurotypical colds. Please let me know if you agree/disagree and certainly if you have any advice on how to treat/handle colds as an Autistic.