How to Fight Sickness, Without a Trip to the Doctor

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. Please see the disclaimer here

Over this past weekend, I ended up catching something. For the first time in a long time, I got sick! Being a generally healthy person, I don’t come down with any bugs too often. But when I do I’m always prepared, as I want to get better as soon as possible! I will share my top tips on fighting sickness, which helped me get better in less than 24 hours!

Tip #1: Have a good understanding of your baseline

This might seem obvious, but it is essential to know how your body usually feels on an average day. Many people get caught up in all that can go on in our schedules that we end up neglecting ourselves. We may be inclined to overlook something that at the time seems small, but can turn into something bigger if we can begin helping our body before it even becomes a bigger issue, the more likely that the bug will last a shorter period of time, or perhaps not even get worse at all!

Tip #2: Keep supplies on hand

The last thing you want is to get sick, and not have the supplies to help you through it! Have a little area dedicated to keeping stuff for that inevitable time when someone in your home catches something. Everybody’s supplies could look completely different, and that’s okay! Some of the things I always like to keep on hand include,

• Vitamin C packets
• Chest Rub
• A Variety of Tea
• Honey
• Small Towels
• Eucalyptus and Mint Essential Oil

Tip #3: Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

When not feeling well, I find one of the best things you can do for your recovery is to intake lots of liquid. Of course, water is best for hydration. Orange juice is a great way to get some extra vitamin c. And something warm like tea can help with congestion, ease a sore throat, and even an upset tummy. Whenever I’m sick I circulate through these all day, and it always helps me to feel better.

Now that I’ve gone over my three top tips, I’ll go into specific things that I like to do to help wither certain ailments. Keep in mind, that this is just what I’ve found that works for me, so use this as one of many resources. Not medical advice.

Congestion

• Hot showers
• Steam with eucalyptus and mint essential oil.
  • I do this either in the shower, allowing the water to get as hot as possible and just sit amongst the steam, kind of like making a mini sauna, or I boil a pot of water, adding a few drops of the essential oils. When steaming, just put your face over it so you can breathe it in, without any risk of getting burnt by the pot. Allow anything to drip that needs to. You should find that it really helps clear you out to breathe again.
• Warm Compress
  • Dampen a small towel in warm water. Place on the congested area. The warmth can help relieve inflammation.
• Eat spicy foods.
  • Anything including ginger, turmeric, chili powder, etc
• Warm drinks
  • Tea is a great option, as it can combine many treatments together! Something warm, something hydrating, and something spicy! Chai tea could be a great option!

Sore throat

• Honey
  • Has been shown to be effective in healing, and has even been shown to help reduce coughing.
• Saltwater gargle
  • Just mix salt and water together in a glass and gargle it.
• Orange Juice
• Hot tea
  • Of course, tea helps but specifically look for these ingredients when it comes to tea for a sore throat.
    • Slippery Elm
    • Marshmallow Root
    • Licorice Root
    • Peppermint
    • Chamomile

Stomach Pain / Nausea

• Heating Pad
• Peppermint and Ginger
  • Can be used in tea, food, aromatherapy, etc. Just very helpful overall.
• Extra Hydration
• Avoiding certain foods
  • Bland food is less likely to create symptoms while you’re not feeling well, while food with more spice, and fats could be more likely to upset your stomach.

Headache

• Cold Compress
  • Dampen a small cloth in cold water and place it on your head.
• Turn off lights
• Massage
  • Self-massage for a headache is very easy. For headaches felt from the front of your head, press and hold spots across your brows, as well as between your brows, and your temples. For a headache in the back of your head, do the same but in the spots where your neck meets the back of your head. These spots will feel tender but should relieve pressure when pressed correctly. Don’t hold the same spot for longer than 30 seconds.
• Extra Hydration
• Caffeine
  • Caffeine can help with headaches, but I only recommend this if you did not already have caffeine, or had very little caffeine, during the day. Too much caffeine can cause its own kind of headache if you’re not careful!

Those are my biggest tips for fighting off any common bugs you might find yourself, or your family catching. I hope this guide can serve as helpful to you in the future! Make sure to take care of yourself out there, and give yourself the rest you deserve!