Disclaimer: In this post, I am sharing what I do to recover from an illness. I am not a doctor, and everything that is shared is to be used for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
It is that time of year when the weather is changing, and it’s getting a little cooler outside, which means that illnesses such as the flu are on the rise. Illness is not fun because you don’t have the energy to do anything, but everyone has gotten sick at some point. Healthy non-disabled people often can recover from sickness relatively quickly, but when you are disabled or chronically ill, it sometimes takes a little longer to recover from the common cold. Disabled people do not always have strong immune systems like non-disabled people, and no exercise or supplement can change this. I don’t get sick often, but when I do, it sometimes takes me longer to recover because I have Hydrocephalus and have shunt tubing in my pleural cavity (fluid-filled space by your lungs), which can make breathing even more difficult for me. Over-the-counter cold medication sometimes can help improve symptoms and may be necessary if you are really sick, but I very rarely take them when I am ill because I don’t notice any significant difference. I would consider myself to have a pretty strong immune system, and most of the time, I can recover from an illness in a week or two. I have been recovering from an upper respiratory cold since the end of last week, and today has been my first day that I started to feel like myself again. How can you recover from illness without taking medication? In this post, I am sharing a few things that I do to recover from mild illnesses.
Stay home- There is nothing more frustrating than when you have plans with a friend and out of nowhere you get the flu. Most people will go out when they are sick, but I don’t go out unless I absolutely have to because not only are you putting yourself at risk by exposing yourself to more germs, but you are also putting everyone around you at risk. On Sunday, I normally would have gone to church and probably could have, but I didn’t because I was still feeling pretty sick, and I am not going to be that person who shows up sick unnecessarily and gives everyone in the congregation my illness. I am able to recover from illness relatively quickly, but even though you can recover from the common cold in two days, that doesn’t mean the person sitting next to you will have that same experience. You never know if you are sitting next to someone who is fighting cancer and doesn’t have a strong immune system, who will become way sicker than you ever did. I understand that sometimes you have to leave your home when you are sick, but if you don’t have to, please be considerate of others and stay home until you are better.
Rest as much as you can– If you are sick, you are going to be more tired because your body is working overtime to try and fight whatever virus you have. Some people have to go to work when they are sick and are not able to take long naps all day long. It is so important that you rest as much as you can and try not to overdo it because your body needs more rest when you are sick. I have been sick the last couple of days and have been sleeping a little more than I usually would, and I haven’t tried to fight it because I know my body could use more rest. Take it easy and rest as much as you can because the more you rest, the faster you will get better.
Stay hydrated– There are so many benefits to drinking enough water, and I am always encouraging people to stay hydrated, but it’s even more important to keep your fluid intake up when you are sick. Water can help you fight illness, ease a sore throat, and replenish any fluids that may have been lost if you were sweating or vomiting. Make sure you are drinking enough water and eating a lot of soups because it will help keep things moving and flush out toxins, so you will feel better.
Move as much as you can- Some people believe that you should be resting and not doing any exercise when you are sick, but I think it depends on how sick you are, because you don’t always have to stop exercising. I wouldn’t recommend that sick people go to a gym to exercise, but sometimes a little movement can help you get better. You can’t sweat out an illness like some people think you can, but it can help to move a little because it opens up your lungs and keeps things moving. If I am sick, I am not able to push myself during exercise to the extent I’d be able to if I weren’t sick, but I do try to move around as much as I can. I personally breathe better when I move around, when I am sick, and often feel more congested when I sit in bed and do nothing. Exercise is not always an option when you are sick, and it depends on what illness you have. If you are running a fever or are vomiting, you should not exercise because it’s not safe, and in those instances, you should be resting. Exercise can help strengthen your immune system so you don’t get sick as often, but it can also be a great thing to do if you have a mild illness to get better.
Try a humidifier– I have an air purifier in my room that I use every day that helps remove germs in the air that you don’t see, so you are breathing clean air, but if I am sick, I use a humidifier. A humidifier is a great thing to have when you are sick because it puts moisture in the air, which can help improve breathing if you have an upper respiratory cold and relieve a sore throat. If you don’t have a humidifier, you can also take a hot shower, and the steam from the shower will also help give you relief.
Use some oil of oregano if you start to feel sick– When I start to feel sick, sometimes I will use oil of oregano, which is an essential oil that you put on the back of your tongue that can kill germs that you can get at any health food store. Oil of oregano is a little strong and not everyone likes or will use it, but if you start using it early enough, sometimes it can completely prevent you from getting sick. It does not work miracles, and sometimes you do end up getting sick, but a lot of the time you don’t get sick as badly, and you just have to get over the nasty taste. I used to refuse to use oil of oregano because it tastes so bad, but now I am all about anything that cuts my sick time in half. I didn’t use oil of oregano with the illness I have now because I didn’t have any on hand when I started to feel sick, but with most illnesses, I do try to use it.
Eat a healthy diet- When you are sick and have no energy, it can be difficult to get up and make a healthy meal. It is important to fuel your body properly when you are sick because it’s going to help you get better. You don’t have to make a big meal and may not have an appetite, but unless you are vomiting and can’t eat, it is so important that you get something into your body. It is okay if all you can handle is a smoothie because something is always better than nothing. It is important to have a healthy, well-balanced diet all the time because people who take care of themselves tend to get sick less often than those who don’t.
No one likes to be sick, but it’s something that has happened to all of us from time to time because you can’t completely avoid every illness. Medication can sometimes help if you are not getting better, but it is not always necessary, and a lot of the time, you can recover from illness by simply resting and taking it easy. I will sometimes take antibiotics when I am sick if I have to, but I try to avoid them because I already take enough meds when I am not sick. There are a lot of ways you can recover from illness, and popping pills is not the only way. You should never underestimate the power of homeopathic methods because they are less hard on your body and sometimes work better than prescription medication. How do you recover from an illness? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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