感到恶心? The do's and don'ts to help you get better and protect others when you have a virus

Winter's arrival and the drop in temperatures that come with it means it's a good time to take stock of what to do – and what not to do – when you're feeling sick.

Colds, influenza and other respiratory illnesses tend to be more common during colder months, when viruses spread more easily because people are indoors more and in closer proximity to others. 到目前为止，美国各地的医生办公室和医院.S. “我一直很忙，”他说. Trish Perl, a professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. 达拉斯医院的医生“相当活跃”,她说, 不仅仅是呼吸道合胞病毒, or RSV.

"There's an increasing amount of influenza going around,她说. “即使在过去一周，我们也看到人数增加, 尽管目前还不清楚其发展轨迹, 当它出现时，它是出了名的难以预测."

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 also tends to spread more during colder months.

急诊和住院 流感，呼吸道合胞病毒和 COVID-19 最近几周有没有升高或增加, 根据疾病控制和预防中心.

如果你感染了呼吸道病毒, here's some advice from medical experts that can help you feel better and protect others.

DO: 保持水分.

血液由55%的血浆和45%的细胞组成. 血浆由90%以上的水组成, and a healthy blood pressure is important to deliver oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.

Drinking water helps your immune system by circulating blood volume, said Dr. 佩妮·琼斯是美国国立卫生研究院的儿科心脏病专家 & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and a professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. 不含咖啡因的饮料和热汤也可以.

Staying hydrated is based on individual needs and varying conditions, 但总的来说, 男性每天应该喝13杯8盎司的水, 女性九人, 根据 美国国家医学院. Keep in mind hydration can also come from water-rich foods, especially fruits and vegetables.

DON'T: Eat salty foods or consume alcohol or drink caffeinated beverages like coffee and soda. 它们会导致脱水.

Jone said staying hydrated while fighting a virus is "critically important" because the fluids help blood circulation, 哪一种可以“帮助将免疫细胞运送到全身各处”."

DO: Stay warm. Sounds logical when you're sick, and there's a good reason behind this tip.

Viruses like influenza, the coronavirus and RSV can cause a fever, Jone said. “发烧是身体正在对抗这些病毒的信号, 病人会因为发烧而发冷. Staying warm will reduce the discomfort of the chills and help circulate blood to carry the immune cells to their destination."

Jone said it is OK to take fever-reducing medication to make you feel better.

DO: 说到睡眠，充足的休息很重要.

Sleep gives your body a chance to heal and let your immune system work. 对于成年人来说，每晚七到九个小时的睡眠是最理想的. "Sleep is actually quite important when you're ill because the more you sleep, 你恢复得越好,约翰说.

DO: 用肥皂和水洗手，保持良好的卫生习惯, 特别是如果你和家人或朋友住在一起. 如果你生病时必须离开家，也要戴上口罩.

If soap and water aren't available, a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol also works.

"Hand hygiene decreases transmission to other people," Perl said. "And don't forget to wipe your counters and other hard surfaces that viruses can survive on."

如果你在上班前出现症状, 考虑一下可能有免疫缺陷的同事. 如果可能的话，在家工作，Perl说.

DO: 如果症状持续或恶化，请去看医生.

There is no good rule of thumb in terms of how many days to wait before seeing a health care professional because the course of an illness may vary for each person, Perl said. Sometimes, 有些人可能会马上发高烧, 在这些情况下, 一般来说，你应该寻求医疗护理. Most secondary infections following viral infections occur five to 10 days after one first contracts the illness, she said. 流感可使人感到不适长达一周.

"You want to use your best judgment" when determining when to see the doctor, Perl said.