Monday, 5 April, 2010
Time: noon-ish
Location: Home at NW2 4SJ
Feeling: sick (literally - blocked nose, eyeballs ready to pop out, headachy and narky). I suppose the last one is not really a symptom. Otherwise I'd be classified as sick all the time. muahaha

What can I say. Birthday (and entry into the 30ies) has brought with it some topics for contemplation.

One of which was, rather unattractively, was snot. As I tried to blow out all my accumulated supplies of nasal mucus before bedtime, I wondered as to the actual composition of this substance (that and also whether anyone has ever drowned overnight in it before). Subsequently, one of the first tasks this morning was to wiki the booger. I know you are all wondering, so here are some highlights:

Nasal mucus is produced by the nasal mucosa, and mucal tissues lining the airways (trachea, bronchus, bronchioles) is produced by specialized airway epithelial cells (goblet cells) and submucosal glands. Small particles such as dust, particulate pollutants, and allergens as well as infectious agents such as bacteria are caught in the viscous nasal or airway mucus and prevented from entering the system. This event along with the continual movement of the respiratory mucus layer toward the oropharynx, helps prevent foreign objects from entering the lungs during breathing. Additionally, mucus aids in moisturizing the inhaled air and prevents tissues such as the nasal and airway epithelia from drying out. Nasal and airway mucus is produced constitutively, with most of it swallowed unconsciously, even when it is dried.

Increased mucus production in the respiratory tract is a symptom of many common illnesses, such as the common cold and influenza.... The presence of mucus in the nose and throat is normal, but increased quantities can impede comfortable breathing and must be cleared by blowing the nose or expectorating phlegm from the throat. Tears are also a component of nasal mucus

Generally nasal mucus is clear and thin, serving to filter air during inhalation. During times of infection, mucus can change colour to yellow or green either as a result of trapped bacteria,^[5] or due to the body's reaction to viral infection.^[6]

In the case of bacterial infection, the bacterium becomes trapped in already clogged sinuses, breeding in the moist, nutrient-rich environment.Antibiotics may be used to treat the secondary infection in these cases, but will generally not help with the original cause.

In the case of a viral infection such as cold or flu, the first stage and also the last stage of the infection causes the production of a clear, thin mucus in the nose or back of the throat. As the body begins to react to the virus (generally one to three days), mucus thickens and may turn yellow or green. In viral infections, antibiotics will not be useful, and are a major avenue for misuse. Treatment is generally symptom-based; often it is sufficient to allow the immune system to fight off the virus over time

So, there you go. Never say I'm not educational.

Another topic of contemplation was, rather unsurprisingly and banally, an existential crisis. No more on that one for now.

What else. Hm. It's been mentioned that I need resolutions. I'm trying to come up with a list... My usual ones include:
1) Exercise (agree. but must be not sick to do so...)
2) Be nice to people (except I keep forgetting why...)
3) Try to get out more... (again... sometimes I forget. Plus hard to beat napping...)
Hm. What else?