Being sick isn’t fun and recovering from the illness can sometimes be just as hard. The body aches, the weakness and fatigue, and the lingering symptoms can knock anyone on their butt for a few more days. Today, we at IV Revival compiled a list that can help you recover from a cold and flu faster.
How to Recover from a Cold & Flu
Stay Hydrated
We all know that staying hydrated is important when you’re sick. It is just as important when you’re recovering as well.
We recommend drinking water, warm lemon water with honey, or eating clear broth to help loosen congestion and prevent dehydration. Avoid alcohol, coffee and caffeinated sodas, which can make dehydration worse. We know, it’s hard to give up caffeine, so keep it to a minimum and let your body recover before you ease back into your regular coffee routine.
Why is being hydrated important when you want to recover from a cold and flu faster? With flus especially, you lose a lot of water through sweating, vomiting, and other unpleasant symptoms. Replenishing those fluids helps your body heal, flush out any lingering toxins, and recover faster.
Rest
Even if you no longer have a temperature, your body still needs to rest. Aim to add at least an extra hour to your normal sleep time — whether that means going to bed earlier, getting up later, or taking a nap during the day, that’s up to you! However, this usually works better when you add an hour to your bedtime routine instead of a random nap during the day, so you don’t mess up your internal clock.
Try to avoid going to work if you can. Even if you’re isolated at a desk, your body will need to relax and rest for you to recover faster. It also reduces stress, which can weaken your immune system.
No matter when you sleep, set yourself up for quality sleep with the following strategies:
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If you have congestion, sleep with your head elevated to help keep your nasal passages open
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Keep your room dark
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Keep the house quiet (if possible)
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Make sure you’re prepared with plenty of blankets, since you’re likely going to feel both too warm and too cold at times
Avoid Stress and Tension
Like we mentioned above, avoiding stress and tension can contribute to your recovery. Additionally, prolonged muscle tension can lead to aches and pains, such as headaches, migraines, backache, muscular spasms, and injury.
To help reduce stress and physical tension:
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Learn to recognize the signs of tension in your body.
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Learn to recognize what stresses you out and avoid them as much as possible
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Regularly practice slow and deep breathing to help relax your muscles
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Take time out to relax
Improve Your Diet
Your gut health and your diet play a huge role in how healthy you are and how quickly you can bounce back from an illness. When you’re sick, you’re going to want to maintain as healthy of a diet as you can.
With a cold, try to eat regularly throughout the day instead of only a meal or two. With the flu, stick to clear broth and toast or low-sodium crackers until you can stomach heavier foods.
We also recommend eating foods you like! Just because you’re sick doesn’t mean you have to stick to foods you don’t enjoy. If you don’t like clear broth or chicken noodle soup, then switch to a non-dairy based soup, crackers, toast, or tea.
Food to avoid:
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Cut back on sugar to keep inflammation down
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Spicy foods
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Caffeine
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Alcohol
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Dairy
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Greasy foods
After your stomach settles, you may find that food still causes cramping, which is totally normal when you’re recovering. Your body is adjusting back to your normal diet, and this can lead to some temporary stress.
If this is the case, then try mobile IV therapy. When our bodies are fighting off illness, they need all the help they can get. Our treatments are not only hydrating, but they’ll also help replenish much needed vitamins and nutrients to help your body get back to peak performance in no time.
When you make an appointment through IV Revival, our nurses will come to you. There’s no trip to the clinic, no waiting in line, and no guessing as to who will administer your IV. All of our nurses are registered nurses and have years of experience, so you will be in good hands. Try it for yourself!
Looking for more tips on flu relief? Read this blog!