Coughs, sneezes, sore throats and runny noses — all of these things probably have happened to you or are going to happen to you in the near future. It’s inevitable; it’s that time of year again when we all seem to be getting sick.
The worst part of it is that you probably don’t have the time to be dealing with an illness. I’m sure we’re all busy with homework, midterms, projects and everything in-between. So, what is it that we should be doing in this time of crisis? What can we do to help our immune system?
I know that it is hard to avoid germs when we’re surrounded by them. It seems like no matter how hard you try to avoid your sick friend or roommate, you still end up getting sick. Personally, I have a terrible immune system and always seem to be getting sick. There are a few things that I tend to do when I’m feeling under the weather, although I can’t guarantee if my methods will work for you. But, as my mom always says, sharing is caring.
When my symptoms first begin to flare up, I load up on vitamin C. I drink a lot of orange juice to get my fix, but with the wonderful modern medicinal discoveries, there are supplements such as Emergen-C that contain all of those good vitamins to help prevent sickness. Another thing that I tend to do is drink a lot of hot tea. There’s something soothing about a warm beverage and it usually seems to help calm a sore, irritated throat.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to keep your hands clean. Let’s be real, we are on a campus, and we’re going to be touching a lot of the same things, such as door handles, chairs, tables and computer keyboards. Think about all of the germs that you are exposed to on a daily basis.
If you are sneezing or coughing, I hope you cover your mouth first of all, but secondly please, please, please wash your hands or carry hand sanitizer with you. No, all of the germs on your hands will not be killed, but your hands will be at least a little cleaner. Not only can this help prevent the spread of your sick germs, but it can also help your own immune system by getting rid of some bad bacteria.
Sleep is another important factor when it comes to illness. We’re in college, and I know how hard it is to get those recommended seven to eight hours of sleep each night, but maybe every now and then that’s what we need to do. Our bodies need to build up enough strength to tackle the illness and recover. I personally am a fan of naps, but I also know when I can or cannot take them. When I’m sick, I become so lazy and feel like sleep is the only thing that is going to get me through anything, but I always make sure that I’m getting my work finished.
In most cases of extreme illness professors are understanding; they were in our shoes once, too. Sometimes, it is better to miss a class and get yourself back to tiptop shape as opposed to going to class and probably not paying attention at all. If you feel like death and still go to class, you are risking infecting everyone else with your disease.
Basically the same things that your doctor usually tells you to do when you’re getting sick are what I’m going to tell you to do: drink plenty of fluids, get plenty of rest and try not to throw yourself into a germ-infested area. If you know that your roommate is sick, then get some Clorox and sanitize your room. In this instance you could also be a good roommate and bring them some soup and maybe a box of tissues.
Being sick is no fun and we definitely don’t have the time to deal with it. Taking the steps to prevent any sort of illness is important so we can always feel our best. More often than not, we are going to catch whatever it is that’s going around; it’s all in the matter of how we handle it. Our bodies can only take so much, and we should do our best to take care of them. After all, they’re the only ones we have.
