There’s not much that is worse than having a cold in the winter months that seems to linger while listening to everyone else cough and sneeze as well. Whether it’s allergies or the flu, you can use a few strategies to recover quickly from your illness. If you find that home remedies and medications over the counter don’t help, then it’s important to see your physician to get something stronger to take.
Humid Environments
The cold virus is one that tends to stick around longer than you might want it in your body. That’s because there’s nothing that can really kill off a virus. You just have to treat the symptoms. One of the ways to make the cold virus want to exit the body is to keep as much humidity in the home as you can tolerate.
Set up a humidifier in your bedroom and in other rooms where you will stay most of the day. Viruses don’t usually do well in moist environments, and the humidity can help to keep your nasal passages from drying out too much.
Drink Liquids
It’s not as important to eat while you’re sick as it is to stay hydrated. Drink orange juice, water, warm tea and other beverages that you can tolerate. If you have a sore throat, then drink warm tea with a small amount of honey. Warm beverages often make you feel better from the inside out, and they can help to add moisture to the nasal passages from the steam that comes from the cup. Fluids can also provide comfort for your throat.
Visit a Doctor
If nothing that you do is helping, then visit a doctor or an urgent care office such as Rural Health Services Consortium Inc.. The doctor can examine you and perform tests to determine if there is something more than a virus that you have. Medications can be prescribed if there is any bacteria present and to help relieve some of the symptoms that you’re experiencing, such as coughing and congestion.
Stay Away from People
While you have to care for your children and family and likely can’t miss work the entire time you’re sick, you need to try to avoid people as much as possible. This will help to keep the spread of viruses to a minimum. Keep sanitizing wipes with you as well as hand sanitizer so that you can keep your hands clean as well as surfaces that you touch.
When you’re sick there are things that you don’t want to do, such as get out of bed or leave the house. However, if you try to stay hydrated and try to move around as much as possible, you’ll find that you can often get rid of your cold or sickness faster than by being sedentary all day. Follow a few simple steps that include drinking fluids and using proper hygiene so that you’ll be on the road to recovery sooner.