Uh oh. It's that time of year. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE, is getting sick. A professor of mine once said, "Tests are the best way to tell how many people are sick. As soon as its quiet, everyone starts coughing." Sure enough, today when I sat down in my Health class to take an exam, the room was filled with hacks of various volumes, consistencies, and depths. Who knew there were so many different ways to cough?
But WAIT. There's good news. A lot of the germs being spread through those hacking coughs and dribbling noses are completely preventable. Especially if you catch them soon enough. Usually, if you start feeling a sore throat or congestion, it's too late. So instead of waiting for the symptoms to set in, here are a few self-exams you can perform each day that may alert you to an illness your body is fighting off.
Check Your Tongue
Tongue diagnosis can be traced back to the ancient Chinese. It stems from the idea that a doctor could look at your tongue and immediately understand what is ailing you based on shape, color, texture, length, size, etc. While this may seem a bit far-fetched, think of the last time you went to the doctor. Did they ask you to stick your tongue out and say "ahhh"? While it is not the only way in which medical diagnoses are made, it is still a prevalent method in creating a baseline for diagnosis. So what is your tongue trying to tell you?
Check Your Pulse
Usually, a resting heart-rate is expected to be around 60 to 100 beats per minute. However, when your body is trying to fight off an illness, your heart rate can increase. There's even this new idea that smartwatches know when you are getting sick days before you experience any symptoms. This is because if you wear the watch regularly, it can detect increases in your heart-rate over periods of time. Of course, even if you don't have a smartwatch, checking your pulse once or twice a day could help you determine if your body is attempting to fight off an infection.
Are You Exhausted?
It's normal for you to feel tired after a long day of classes or work, but if you've noticed that you've been getting the same amount of sleep you usually get, but you feel much more exhausted than usual, it could be a sign that your body is fighting off some illness. The best thing you can do is give your body as much rest as it needs.
Assess Your Skin
I think we can all agree that our faces change color throughout the day. Sometimes when it's colder outside, our noses are red/pink and out cheeks and blotchy. But it should be a bit of a red flag if you are stationary and the color in your face is splotchy or non-existent. Just like with the color of your tongue, the color of your face can indicate if your body is battling an infection of some sort.
Colds and the flu can often be difficult to avoid. Especially colds. No one really stays home from school or work because they have congestion or a mild cold. But, there are some easy ways you can assess your health on a daily basis and try to be proactive when it comes to your health.
