How can you effectively reduce post-workout muscle soreness. What are the best practices for preventing Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Which natural remedies and lifestyle changes can enhance muscle recovery after intense exercise.

Understanding DOMS: The Science Behind Post-Workout Soreness

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, commonly known as DOMS, is a familiar experience for many fitness enthusiasts. This phenomenon typically occurs 24-48 hours after a strenuous workout and can leave muscles feeling tender and uncomfortable. But what exactly causes DOMS?

DOMS is primarily the result of microscopic tears in muscle fibers that occur during intense or unfamiliar exercise. As the body repairs these tears, it strengthens the muscles, leading to improved strength and endurance. While DOMS is generally considered a normal part of the adaptation process, excessive soreness can hinder performance and motivation.

Is DOMS an indicator of a good workout? Not necessarily. The absence of soreness doesn’t mean your workout was ineffective. Some individuals may experience less DOMS due to genetic factors, training history, or recovery practices. Conversely, severe DOMS might indicate overtraining or improper form.

Nutritional Strategies for Muscle Recovery

Proper nutrition plays a crucial role in muscle recovery and soreness prevention. Here are some evidence-based nutritional strategies to implement:

The Power of Cherries in Combating Muscle Soreness

Cherries, particularly tart cherries, have gained attention in the fitness world for their potential to reduce muscle soreness. Why are cherries so effective? They contain high levels of anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that combat free radicals produced during exercise.

How can you incorporate cherries into your diet for maximum benefit? Consider consuming a small handful of cherries or drinking tart cherry juice before your workout. This practice may help increase oxygen flow to your muscles, potentially mitigating the effects of DOMS.

Magnesium-Rich Foods: Your Ally Against Lactic Acid Build-up

Magnesium is a vital mineral for muscle function and recovery. It plays a crucial role in muscle contractions and can help reduce lactic acid build-up, a byproduct of intense exercise that contributes to muscle soreness.

• Dark leafy greens (spinach, kale)
• Nuts and seeds (almonds, pumpkin seeds)
• Whole grains
• Bananas
• Yogurt

Incorporating these magnesium-rich foods into your diet can support faster recovery and potentially reduce post-workout pain.

The Role of Curcumin in Alleviating Joint Pain

Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, has garnered attention for its potent anti-inflammatory properties. Research suggests that curcumin may be as effective as some anti-inflammatory medications in reducing joint pain and muscle soreness.

How can you harness the benefits of curcumin? Consider adding turmeric to your pre-workout meals or smoothies. For those who find the taste challenging, curcumin supplements are widely available. However, always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement regimen.

Hydration: The Cornerstone of Effective Recovery

Proper hydration is often overlooked but plays a crucial role in muscle recovery and soreness prevention. Dehydration can lead to increased muscle cramping, fatigue, and delayed recovery.

How much water should you drink to support recovery? While individual needs vary, a general guideline is to consume 1.5-2 liters of water throughout the day, with additional intake during and after your workout. This practice helps replenish fluids lost through sweat and supports the efficient removal of metabolic waste products like lactic acid.

Are sports drinks necessary for hydration? For most moderate workouts lasting less than an hour, water is sufficient. However, for intense or prolonged exercise sessions, electrolyte-rich sports drinks can help replace lost minerals and maintain proper fluid balance.

Sleep: The Ultimate Recovery Tool

Quality sleep is arguably the most powerful recovery tool at your disposal. During deep sleep, the body releases growth hormone, which is essential for muscle repair and growth. Moreover, sleep deprivation can lead to increased cortisol levels, potentially hindering recovery and exacerbating muscle soreness.

How can you optimize your sleep for better recovery?

1. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night
2. Establish a consistent sleep schedule
3. Create a dark, cool, and quiet sleep environment
4. Limit exposure to blue light from electronic devices 2 hours before bedtime
5. Practice relaxation techniques like meditation or deep breathing before sleep

By prioritizing sleep, you’re giving your body the best chance to recover and adapt to your training stimulus, potentially reducing the severity of DOMS.

Cold Therapy: A Chilling Solution to Muscle Soreness

Cold therapy, often in the form of ice baths or cold showers, has long been used by athletes to combat muscle soreness and speed up recovery. The cold exposure causes blood vessels to constrict, which can help reduce inflammation and swelling in the muscles.

How effective is cold therapy for reducing DOMS? Research results are mixed, but many athletes swear by its benefits. A study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that cold water immersion after exercise significantly reduced muscle soreness compared to passive recovery.

If you’re new to cold therapy, how should you start? Begin with shorter exposures (30 seconds to 1 minute) to cold showers or ice baths at a moderate temperature (50-59°F or 10-15°C). Gradually increase the duration and decrease the temperature as your body adapts. Always listen to your body and discontinue if you experience any adverse reactions.

Mobility Work: The Key to Preventing Soreness and Injury

Incorporating regular mobility work into your fitness routine can significantly impact your recovery and reduce the likelihood of excessive muscle soreness. Mobility exercises help maintain and improve your range of motion, which can decline over time due to inactivity or poor posture.

What’s the difference between stretching and mobility work? While stretching focuses on lengthening muscles, mobility work involves moving joints through their full range of motion. This approach helps improve movement efficiency, prevent injuries, and potentially reduce recovery time after workouts.

Foam Rolling: Your Personal Massage Therapist

Foam rolling, a form of self-myofascial release, has gained popularity as an effective tool for reducing muscle tension and soreness. This technique involves using a foam cylinder to apply pressure to specific points on your body, similar to a deep tissue massage.

How does foam rolling work to alleviate muscle soreness? The pressure applied during foam rolling can help break up adhesions in the fascia (the connective tissue surrounding muscles), improve blood flow to the area, and potentially speed up the recovery process.

To incorporate foam rolling into your routine:

• Spend 1-2 minutes on each major muscle group
• Roll slowly, pausing on tender areas for 20-30 seconds
• Maintain proper form to target the intended muscles effectively
• Perform foam rolling before and/or after your workouts

Remember, while some discomfort is normal during foam rolling, it should never be painful. If you experience sharp or intense pain, reduce the pressure or consult a fitness professional for guidance.

The Importance of Balanced Nutrition for Muscle Recovery

While protein is often emphasized for muscle recovery, a well-rounded diet that includes a variety of nutrients is crucial for optimal results. Relying solely on protein supplements may lead to nutritional deficiencies that can hinder recovery and overall health.

How can you ensure a balanced nutritional approach to support muscle recovery?

1. Include a variety of protein sources in your diet (e.g., lean meats, fish, eggs, legumes, dairy)
2. Consume complex carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores (e.g., whole grains, sweet potatoes, fruits)
3. Incorporate healthy fats for hormone production and inflammation regulation (e.g., avocados, nuts, olive oil)
4. Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables to ensure a wide range of vitamins and minerals
5. Consider timing your meals to optimize nutrient delivery (e.g., consuming protein and carbohydrates within 30 minutes post-workout)

By focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods, you provide your body with the building blocks it needs to repair and strengthen muscles, potentially reducing the severity and duration of DOMS.

Listening to Your Body: The Art of Recovery

While implementing various recovery strategies is important, perhaps the most crucial aspect of managing post-workout soreness is learning to listen to your body. Every individual responds differently to exercise and recovery techniques, and what works for one person may not be as effective for another.

How can you develop the skill of body awareness to optimize your recovery?

• Keep a training journal to track your workouts, recovery methods, and how you feel
• Pay attention to the quality of your movement during exercises
• Notice patterns in your energy levels and soreness in relation to your training and recovery practices
• Be willing to adjust your workout intensity or recovery methods based on how your body responds
• Consult with a fitness professional or physical therapist if you experience persistent pain or excessive soreness

Remember, some level of muscle soreness is normal and can even be a sign of progress. However, if soreness is severe or prolonged, it may indicate a need for more rest or a modification in your training program.

By implementing these strategies and remaining attuned to your body’s signals, you can develop a personalized approach to managing post-workout soreness. This not only enhances your recovery but also supports long-term progress and enjoyment in your fitness journey. As you continue to refine your recovery techniques, you’ll likely find that you can train more consistently and effectively, leading to better overall results and a reduced risk of injury.

8 hacks to stop feeling so sore after a workout

Hitting the gym? Then you’ve probably experienced DOMS – that’s Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, aka the hellish aching and pains you get after a tough workout.

It’s worth noting that not EVERYONE gets DOMS, and some people get it worse than others (hello, not being able to sit down on the loo after a heavy squat session the day before). So don’t sweat too much if you’ve been lunging the sh*t out of the gym but are still able to walk the next day.

But if you do get sore after your workouts, there are a few tried and tested remedies that can help ease the pain. Personal Trainer at Reach Fitness and former professional rugby player Ollie Frost explains how:

1. Eat cherries

Cherries contain anthocyanins which will combat free radicals that are produced in the body following exercise, acting as an inflammatory agent for the body. Cherries will increase oxygen flow to your muscles negating potential DOMS. Grab a small handful a day pre workout, also counting to one of your five a day.

2. Try to sleep like a baby

A single night of sleep deprivation can lead to an increase in cortisol, the stress hormone which can delay recovery after a workout. Happily exercise promotes good sleep, but to improve sleep quality further turn of all technology two hours before bed, as smart phones and tablets produce something called ‘the blue light’ which suppresses melatonin (the sleep hormone).

3. Make sure you’re getting micronutrients in.

Necking protein shakes or bars after the gym? That’s cool but make sure you are getting a range of protein from other sources, too. Processed protein products, in particular isolated protein supplements, lack a list of vital nutrients which occur in foods that naturally contain protein. Natural protein sources such as peanuts for example, contain Vitamin B3, B6 and B7, whilst salmon contains omega-3, and yogurt contains calcium. Yes, protein supplements are more convenient, but taking your time to choose natural protein sources will boost recovery due to the overall nutritional profile of the meal and the additional health properties.

4. Eat magnesium rich foods

The body utilises magnesium for muscle contractions. Including foods in your diet such as dark leafy greens, peanuts, yoghurt and bananas will help reduce lactic acid build up which is a bi-product from strenuous exercise and intense workouts. The benefit of reducing lactic acid build up means your body recovers a lot quicker, meaning your body won’t be feeling a world of pain after a workout!

5. Work on your mobility

In order to reduce recovery time following a workout, make sure you’re doing more than just passive stretching. As babies we are born with full range of motion and as we get older due to inactivity and lifestyle, this range of movement decreases. Focus on each joint of your body working the full range of motion, and spending concentrated time on each. Having an increased range of movement will improve movement efficiency and help prevent injury at the same time boosting workout recovery times. A foam roller is a great way to loosen up tight muscles.

6. Take a cold bath

Take the plunge and run a cold bath. The cold therapy will help repair muscle tissue tears from intensive or repetitive workouts. The cold water constricts blood vessels helping promote the removal of waste products (such as lactic acid) in the body and help reduce muscle soreness as a result. Too intense? Try a warm bath with epsom or magnesium bath salts – you can pick them up cheaply from Boots.

7. Eat Curcumin

Curcumin is a chemical found in Turmeric that helps alleviate joint pain and increase recovery time due to having a large amount of anti-inflammatory properties. It has been scientifically proven that turmeric is as powerful as most anti-inflammatory prescription medications. Take turmeric before a workout to help reduce muscle soreness and fatigue – you can easily add it to recipes for a spicy kick.

8. Pay attention to hydration

The correct fluid intake will prevent injury and ensure your workout is optimal. Dehydration can lead to cramping and dizziness pre and post workout as well as slowing down the removal of lactic acid – which means you’ll be more sore the next day. To replenish electrolytes and sodium lost during exercise drink around 1.5-2 litres throughout the day and post workout to avoid dehydration following exercise.

Ollie Frost is a KP Nuts Brand Ambassador

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Not Sore After a Tough Workout? Here’s What It Means

When you finish a challenging workout, you usually expect to wake up with some muscle soreness the next morning. It’s a natural part of the recovery process, and soreness (in most cases) just means that your muscles are working exactly as they should be—and getting stronger, at that. But if you’ve ever finished an intense weight lifting session or tried a new workout modality only to wake up without an ounce of muscle soreness, you might question whether or not you challenged yourself enough during your workout. If you worked hard, you should be sore, right? To get to the bottom of this perplexing fitness phenomenon, we’ve tapped sports medicine physician Dr. Michael Medvecky and physical therapist Dr. Bohdanna Zazulak.

Meet the Expert

• Dr. Michael Medvecky is a Yale Medicine sports medicine physician and orthopaedic surgeon.
• Dr. Bohdanna Zazulak DPT is a physical therapist, orthopedic certified specialist, and researcher at Yale School of Medicine.

Why Do You Get Sore After a Workout? 

Post-workout pain in the form of muscle soreness actually signifies injury—but not the bad kind—explains Medvecky. “Muscle soreness that is noticed the day after an intense workout is believed to be related to micro-injury at the skeletal muscle level,” he says. This type of pain even has a scientific name: delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

Zazulak adds that while there are several scientific theories on why this occurs, it still not completely understood. “DOMS especially occurs after a lot of eccentric exercise, or ‘negatives’ that stress the muscle as its lengthening,” she says. For example, lowering your arm to a straight position after a bicep curl, or tensing your quads when running downhill.  

“Deliberately tearing your muscles may seem counterintuitive, but the process of rebuilding these micro-tears is necessary for building muscle mass, or hypertrophy,” Medvecky points out. “You have to break down to build stronger, more powerful and more resilient muscles.” 

But, while pain does in fact equal gain, too much pain might not rear the same results, according to Medvecky. He explains that while a “good workout” is helpful for the development of muscle growth, exercising intensely while in the sore phase of DOMS may have counterproductive effects and result in injury, “as the muscle may not have its full shock attenuation properties, may limit range of motion or can be temporarily weaker while it is recovering.” In other words, your muscles need a rest, and we owe them that much for getting us through our workouts.

Was Your Workout Effective If You Don’t Feel Sore?

With any challenging training regimen, dull aches/soreness in your muscles (DOMS) is normal for up to three days, Zazulak explains. “This sensation may diminish after weeks, months, or years of dedicated training and leave you wondering if your workouts are still effective.” But, don’t be dismayed. “The benefits of exercise for body-mind-spirit are immeasurable, and will help you think, feel, and look better for a better quality of life and overall wellness. Our amazing bodies adapt to whatever we ask of them.” In other words, if you do the same workout over and over, you are still reaping rewards, but eventually you might not feel as sore as when you first started (or sore at all). 

This is why many trainers suggest switching up your workout routine regularly. “The physiological principle of ‘specificity of training’ is important in understanding how our muscles respond to training. Essentially, this means that our muscles are creatures of habit, and get accustomed to the demand we place in terms of weight, intensity, duration, speed, and the type of movement,” says Medvecky. “Variety is the spice of life and the missing ingredient in realizing your full potential. So, amp up the weights, vary your routine, and mix in cross training to challenge yourself in novel ways.”

 Why You Might Not Get Sore

There are a number of reasons you might not get sore after a workout. Ahead, our experts share the most popular culprits.

Your Body Is Recovering and Rebuilding Quickly

One of the reasons you may not experience soreness after a workout is that your body is tuned to recover and rebuild quickly, says Medvecky. 

You Have a Strong Core

Biomechanics also play an important role in whether or not you experience soreness after a workout. “We have learned from our research that a healthy core is essential for injury prevention,” explains Medvecky. “Core stability is an important component of any training to optimize biomechanics and prevents excessive stresses and injury throughout your body.” Weakness in the larger, stronger muscles of your core can cause altered biomechanics, overuse, pain, and injury in the smaller muscles further down your arms and legs.

Your Workouts Aren’t Challenging Enough

An obvious explanation for a lack of soreness, is that you simply aren’t challenging yourself enough. “This is your body’s way of giving you the green light to progress your training,” points out Zazulak. She suggests challenging yourself to go heavier gradually. However, when adding weight, reps, or time to your workout, make sure to maintain good form. “Listen to your body and know your limits to avoid burnout and stress,“ she says.

You Are Properly Stretching and Caring for Yourself

Since soreness is considered a micro injury, recovery can play a role in how sore you feel. “A healthy holistic diet, adequate hydration, sufficient recovery and sleep, healthy breathing, warming-up, and cooling down all play a role in your recovery,” says Zazulak. Additionally, another way to potentially speed up your recovery time is by adding low-to-moderate intensity movement such as walking, cycling, jogging, or gentle yoga.

You’ve Hit a Plateau 

One of the main reasons you might not be getting sore? You are working the same muscle over and over and you have hit a plateau—basically, your body may have adapted to your workout. While this isn’t a bad thing, it also offers an opportunity to up your workout game. 

How to Stay Just Sore Enough

Obviously, the goal is to hurt just enough to be effective. But you don’t want to go overboard, which could result in a serious injury. “Those that exercise daily or five to six days a week should consider alternating the type of stress or intensity of exercise to allow for adequate recovery, and cross-training is an excellent way of allowing for this recovery phase,” Zazulak says. “Alternating cycling, swimming or elliptical with running or jumping exercise days is an example of allowing relative rest periods. Exercises that target different body parts also allows for the stressed regions to recover.”

Medvecky adds that when initiating a training program, a gradual transition of stress is important for both physical and mental recovery. “Too rapid progression will result in muscle strain, potential prolonged recovery, possible injury or psychological disappointment that your body can’t keep up,” he says. “However, age-appropriate slower recovery is normal and shouldn’t discourage one from ‘keep on keeping on.’”

The Bottom Line

Just because you aren’t sore after a workout doesn’t necessarily mean that you aren’t challenging yourself enough (or performing the exercise correctly). In fact, quite the opposite can be true; if you’re adequately stretching, warming-up, practicing solid form, and cooling-down, you can drastically reduce symptoms of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Just keep in mind that variety in your workouts is the key to success, whether your goals are weight loss or building muscle. When you perform the same exercise over and over, your muscles adapt and the exercise becomes easier (which means you won’t be as sore—or sore at all—afterwards). This exercise is still good for you, you just might not be reaping the full benefits.

This Is the Best Time of Day to Work Out, According to Science

How to learn not to get sick – Lifehacker

October 16, 2014

Health

Adviсe

How many times a year do you get sick? Perhaps you would like to learn how to resist diseases? This article provides simple tips on how to improve your health.

Winter is coming, which means that soon people will start to mow down the flu and cold in droves. It would seem that the same story has been repeated for many years: a person knows what to do in order not to get sick, dresses warmly, drinks hot tea with lemon prophylactically, but no, no, and even “falls into” a cold.

And all right, if this trouble happens in winter, but when the disease overtakes you somewhere in the summer, on vacation, this is doubly insulting. Many have probably already got used to the idea that at least a couple of times a year they will have to lie down with a temperature and a runny nose. I was one of them until I learned not to get sick.

By “illness” I mean a cold or flu that prevents you from working/studying normally. The last time I got sick was on January 20, 2012, that is, almost 2.5 years ago. On that day, I made a strong-willed decision not to get sick anymore. I lasted a year, then another, and now next year I am preparing to meet the third year without colds and flu.

In order to understand how to deal with diseases, we first consider the causes of their occurrence.

Why do we get sick

1. Stress. According to statistics, most sick days occur on a stressful Monday. Least of all on Friday. On Friday, a person feels an emotional upsurge before the upcoming weekend, but on Monday he feels the brunt of the upcoming work week – it is at this time that the likelihood of getting sick increases. Sooner or later, constant stress will force a person to take sick leave.
2. Internal protest. Are you tired of work or have you become unbearable to go to classes in the morning? Or maybe you want to finally relax, but far from vacation? There is a way out: the subconscious itself will turn on the necessary mechanisms so that you are often exposed to the wind, cold and air conditioners and can thus get sick.
3. Lack of attention. You want people around you to start giving you oranges, drink coldrex, feel sorry and inquire daily about your health. This is pleasant for everyone, but this is nothing more than a method of manipulation.
4. Extreme cold. This kind of cold is hard to miss, because it is clearly felt by every cell of the body. The first desire, when you feel a strong cold, is to warm up urgently.
5. Light cold A striking example is an imperceptible draft or a treacherous air conditioner nozzle that quietly but systematically, minute by minute, takes away your heat – this is one of the most dangerous types of cold.

How to deal with the causes of illness listed above

1. Stress at work can be dealt with either by reconsidering your attitude to work (to be simpler, not taking everything personally), or by changing jobs.
2. In the case of internal protest, it makes sense to pump yourself up with good reasons to go to work (motivation) or, again, change jobs and do something more pleasant. In addition, it may be that you are stuck with routine. In this case, it makes sense to consciously take a vacation for at least a couple of days and emotionally cheer up with the help of a short trip and communication with interesting people.
3. If you don’t have enough attention, don’t make a martyr out of yourself. Going out with friends to an event will be much more productive: you will spend much less time and get your dose of social capital. The more often you go out in public, the less you will want to get sick. And if you fall in love – even more so.
4. Strong and light cold require different approaches. It is easier to prepare for a strong cold than for a light one, because it is more noticeable and palpable. It is impossible to let it pass by: when you are shivering, and your teeth are tap dancing, you will either urgently look for a way to warm up, or make a strong-willed decision to endure. This is the secret to fighting extreme cold.
5. Light cold is like a frog that is simmered quietly. Avoiding this most insidious kind of cold requires a high level of awareness. You need to learn to feel your body and notice the slightest uncomfortable manifestations around you. Don’t be a hero and endure a light draft or a blanket that isn’t warm enough. A slight cold can take you by surprise when you are sleeping and you have no control over the conditions of your sleep. Therefore, it makes sense to prepare in advance for possible cold snap scenarios and prepare an extra blanket or take an extra sweater with you. It is better to sweat than be cold. To increase your chances in the face of a slight cold, you should not only do your “homework” on warming up with sweater blankets, but also add a reminder to the “cache” of your head that the wind is blowing and you can’t relax. That is, even when you are sitting somewhere in the office at an important meeting, you must definitely “book” the thought of the cold in your head. When you remember the cold and are aware of what it is and what it affects you, you already increase your chances of not getting sick by 50%.

Prevention will save the world

It is much easier not to get sick if you regularly perform simple but effective actions:

• Get stronger. Even a couple of minutes of cold water at the end of your daily morning bath can already work wonders.
• Get dressed. Risk areas that require attention in the first place: back, chest and neck.
• Sleep. This is a very important point, because lack of sleep leads to poor health and reduced immunity.
• Drink hot drinks. It doesn’t matter if it’s coffee, tea or just boiling water. An extra glass of something warm will not only remind your body that it is being taken care of, but will also allow you to more accurately determine the sources of cold in contrast.
• Take a hot shower. Even if you are not cold. It is never superfluous to warm up the back and neck.

Shock measures: take revenge on the cold

It happens that you find yourself in a severe frost, while you are aware of the danger of getting sick, but, unfortunately, there is not a joule of heat nearby. In such cases, even a glass of hot tea is not able to cover the “damage” caused by the cold. In such a situation, it is necessary, as before, to keep in mind the thought of the cold. It doesn’t matter that he won the battle, because you still have the power to win the war!

Take revenge on the bitter winter by having a good steam in the shower while simultaneously pouring hot tea with lemon down your throat. Dress in everything you have, cover yourself with all the blankets you have available, and go to bed. And sleep as much as you want without getting up at the sound of the alarm clock. It is better to oversleep work, but be healthy, than heroically be at the office on time, but with the onset of the disease.

And for a snack – a health recipe from integral yoga guru Sri Aurobindo

“The only disease is lack of consciousness . In the later stages, when inner silence is firmly established in us and we are able to perceive mental and vital vibrations still at the periphery of our paraconsciousness, we will be able to feel the vibrations of disease in the same way and remove them before they can enter us. If you are aware of this surrounding self, Sri Aurobindo wrote to a disciple, you will be able to catch a thought, a passion, a suggestion or the force of illness and prevent their intrusion into you.

What ways do you know that help not to get sick?

How not to get sick or recover faster during a flu epidemic

Hello, my name is Asta Mastavichute. I am a family doctor at Northway Medical Center. During the cold season, I communicate with people who have the flu every day. Despite the peculiarity of each case, there are frequently asked questions by patients. I think that everyone should know the answers to them, because no one is immune from the flu.

What should you do if you have the flu?

Stay at home, because work is not going anywhere, and health is above all. Try not to contact (less than 1 meter) with healthy people (you don’t want to infect them, right?) and with sick people (so that other microorganisms do not enter your body). Those who suffer from chronic diseases (bronchial asthma, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases), aged people and pregnant women should not ignore the symptoms of the disease – they should definitely consult a doctor.

Avoid close contact with people in order not to infect them (environmentally dangerous concentration of viruses enters from the 5th to the 7th day of illness). If you must leave the house (for example, to see a doctor), wear a face mask or cover your mouth with a tissue when you cough. Studies have shown that hands come into contact with discharge from the nose and eyes at least 30 times a day, so we recommend washing your hands more often.

Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.

Why should I drink more fluids when I have the flu?

While you are sick, a mug of tea is your best friend! As soon as the first symptoms of influenza appear, it is necessary to drink plenty of fluids to reduce the production of mucus in the body and stimulate sweating. Drinking fluids is the easiest and most natural way to remove the pathogen from the body by flushing. If you have no appetite, eat in smaller quantities, but you simply must drink a lot. But not all drinks are suitable. It is better to temporarily give up coffee, carbonated drinks and drinks containing caffeine.

You can do a simple test by checking the color of your urine. Light yellow color indicates a sufficient amount of fluid consumed by the patient. Dark yellow urine indicates an insufficient amount of fluid in the body.

How can family members of a sick person protect themselves?

The best way to protect the household from a sick member is to place him in a separate room. The patient should use separate dishes, cutlery and towels.

In a separate patient room, there should be tissues, a bag or other container for discarding used tissues, liquids, a thermometer, an air humidifier (it is easier to breathe with higher humidity), face masks (when the patient leaves his room, he must wear a mask on his face) , cold and cough medicines. Ventilate the room more often, wipe the surface of the furniture, wash the floors with water and the usual means.

When should I see a doctor?

Be sure to see a doctor if you are very ill, expecting a baby, suffer from chronic diseases (bronchial asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular disease) and you are over 65 years old. You may need special flu medicines to relieve symptoms, protect against possible complications, and shorten the duration of the illness.

Do I need to take a blood test for an accurate diagnosis?

Influenza can be diagnosed based on clinical symptoms, but a blood test will provide a more accurate diagnosis.

How long to stay at home when sick?

Does the thermometer show normal temperature in the morning? Wait a bit as this doesn’t give you the green light to get back into action at all. It is recommended to stay at home for another 24 hours after the temperature returns to normal.