It's the beginning of that time of year when trash cans are full of tissues and silences are full of sniffling and coughing. Med-Express lines are long and the Health Care Center is booked for the next week. Despite the obvious trend in sickness at this time of year, we do little to prepare and take care of ourselves when we are ill. Though there are lists of home remedies and and antibiotics to treat the common cold, the most important antidote is rest.
I know it's hard to rest, especially in college. In most classes attendance is mandatory without a doctor's note, even if you don't feel well. But, truthfully, going to class when you are in the beginning of an illness, whether it be cold or flu, is not only harmful to your health, but also to other's. So next time your sick, think about these three reasons why you should just stay home.
Sleep is one of most important remedies to any sickness. Think about it. When you're sick, do you feel more fatigued than usual? Are you able to lay in bed for days and still feel tired? Do you take a nap and wake up feeling even slightly better? If you answered yes to even one of these, this is because sleep is crucial to your quick recovery. Instead of pushing yourself to go to class, work, and extracurricular activities, take the time to rest. Your body, though it cannot be seen physically, uses energy to "fight" off an infection such as a cold or the flu. When you continue about your daily life and refuse to acknowledge your need for rest, it is going to take much longer for you to feel well again. It is essential that you give your body the time and energy to battle the virus and stop wasting your energy elsewhere.
Stress is a word college students say and hear a lot, so it should be no surprise to learn that stress can harm your immune system. While this process occurs in and out of sickness, when you're sick, stress only makes it worse -- mentally and physically. Stress actually weakens your immune system making it much more difficult to recover from even a common cold. Of course, staying home and relaxing is much easier said than done. For some people, myself included, relaxation is stressful, especially when you are missing class because of it. But in the end, don't make the mistake of stretching yourself too thin in the early stages of your illness. If you pretend like you aren't sick and carry on with your day-to-day schedule, it will ultimately take longer for your body to heal fully.
Medication is great. It is beneficial as well as crucial to survival for some people and can aid in the healing process during and after a cold. There are two issues with medication, however. First, medication is not a "quick fix." When you go to the doctor and are prescribed an antibiotic or other medication, it is not supposed to make you feel well again within the hour. In fact, for infection, take ear infections for example, the medication may not relieve pain or swelling for two to three days. Visiting the doctor does not mean you have been healed, nor does it mean you are clear to resume your normal schedule. Instead, it means you still need to rest and to let the medicine do its job.
The other issue with medication is self-medication. While taking care of yourself is important, it is also important to understand the risks and limitations associated with medication. For example, if you take antibiotics for a cold every time you get a cold, the antibiotics will eventually stop having the desired effective because your body has become too accustomed to them. The same goes for nasal sprays, congestion medication, and even painkillers. The trick with medication is to pair light medication with a lot of rest.
I understand that you probably feel like you don't have time to be sick. Maybe you really, truly don't. But ignoring your symptoms and the signs your body is sending such as sore throat, headache, fatigue, will not make the infection or virus disappear. So instead of going about your regular schedule, stressing about school, and overly self-medicating, take a day (or more) to rest and allow your body time to recover.
As Jill Sinclair says in her book "The Art of Being Ill," "The thing about being a patient is that you have to be patient."
