The Ultimate Cold & Flu Survival Guide: Never Get Sick Again!

Photo by: Naomi Abel, R29

Ugh, I'm sick. Now what should I do?

Once you've fallen ill, the key is to treat it right away. "After 72 hours, even medical-grade antivirals won't be as effective," Dolhun says. When it comes to treatment, the best you can hope for is to relieve symptoms - no over-the-counter treatment will shorten the duration or severity of your illness. While some prescription medications can help, doctors tend to recommend those... more 

Photo by: Naomi Abel, R29

Ugh, I'm sick. Now what should I do?

Once you've fallen ill, the key is to treat it right away. "After 72 hours, even medical-grade antivirals won't be as effective," Dolhun says. When it comes to treatment, the best you can hope for is to relieve symptoms - no over-the-counter treatment will shorten the duration or severity of your illness. While some prescription medications can help, doctors tend to recommend those only for high-risk people. "We're already seeing resistant viruses," Cranshaw says. "The more people who take them, the less effective they'll be. And these medications aren't widely effective to begin with."

When it comes to feeling better in the meantime, rest up and drink fluids. Try chicken soup, tea with honey, or an oral rehydrating solution like Drip Drops. Proper hydration is key, since that helps move mucus out of the body. "If you let mucus stagnate, it becomes a petri dish," Dolhun adds. "That's when you can develop a secondary infection - why you can start to feel better and all of a sudden, you feel worse."

And, while it's usually a good idea to stay fit, now's the time to ease off the workouts. Let your body's energy go to fighting the sickness. "Listen to your body," Dolhun says. "If you're feeling crummy, you should rest. I see people go from zero to 60 in no time after they've been sick, but I recommend ramping things up slowly." less