So you tried to wash your hands frequently, and you eat healthy and exercise, and you even get 8 hours of sleep every night. And somehow you still got sick. You are not alone.
Here are some tricks to help ease the pain of being sick and on the way back to the road of recovery:
- Rest. Get lots of it. I wrote before how your body needs sleep every night so it can replenish cells and refuel. Your body really needs this when you are sick. You do not want to do too much, risking an overload to your body. Rest. We mean it. Now you have an excuse to lay in bed and watch tv all day. You’re welcome.
- Eat healthy. Being sick is not an excuse to throw good eating habits out the window. Your body, now more than ever, needs nutrients from fruits and vegetables. And your mom’s idea of shoving chicken noodle soup down your throat when you are sick is not an old wives tale. Your body utilizes the nutrients to help rebuild your cells, and the warm soup just helps make you feel better. But it isn’t only soup that will make you feel better. Any food that is chock full of nutrients and vitamins is beneficial when you are sick.
- Drink water. Now more than ever your body needs to flush out its system. If plain water is just too, well, plain, heat it up and add in a lemon. It will soothe you and taste fresh.(Isn’t it interesting that all of the things you should do to avoid getting sick, you should do to help you stop being sick?)
- Stay up on your medication. Treat your symptoms and continue taking medications until after you are not sick. Some symptoms if not taken care of all the way, will continually come back or become worse. Or, in a worst case scenario, the symptoms can lead to other problems. (Like a runny nose could turn into post-nasal drip.) It is also important to pay attention to dosages. Mixing medications can be very dangerous. Even if you are not taking multiple medications, you still need to pay attention and not take more than the recommended dosages. Do not miss any doses, either. You will start to notice your symptoms again and it can delay healing.
- Go to the doctor, if necessary. A bad cold or flu can be nursed back to health on your own. However, if you reach a high fever that will not dip after a few hours, develop rashes, or if you symptoms persist, see a doctor. Even if you do not have health care insurance, you can put yourself at more risk if you avoid the doctor for a more serious medical issue. If you are not on your death bed, try and visit your doctors office instead of Instacare or the emergency room. The latter two have much higher medical costs. But if you need to go, you need to go.