Vomiting and nausea make you feel completely dizzy, weak and dejected. In some cases, the feeling of being unwell remains even after most of the symptoms have disappeared, so getting out of bed to resume normal daily activities can be very tiring. To put an end to the suffering caused by vomiting it is important to know how to take care of your body, but also of your home; only in this way will you feel better again and avoid the risk of feeling bad again.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Taking Care of Yourself
Step 1. Take your time
Pretending to be active quickly is the best way to get sick again. Most likely, you have a lot of things to do and have been forced to miss school or work, but when the body gets sick it is extremely important to give it time to recover. Try not to make any efforts until the symptoms completely disappear. Until you feel fit again, relaxing and sleeping longer should be your only priorities.
A healthy adult needs about 7-9 hours of sleep a night, but during illness the hours of sleep needed increase dramatically. Make sure your body has plenty of time to rest it needs, even if it means you have to take time off from school or work, cancel programs, and / or go to bed early
Step 2. Keep your body hydrated
Vomiting is an exhausting experience that takes away all of both physical and mental energy. Getting plenty of fluids will help your body recover faster. Remember to drink a glass of water (250ml) every 2 or 3 hours to replenish the fluids lost due to vomiting. Also make nutrient-rich drinks, such as a freshly squeezed orange juice or a cup of broth, to drink several times a day until you feel good again.
Step 3. Eat healthily
When you feel nauseous or vomit, the very idea of food can be quite repulsive. Nonetheless, it is very important to revitalize the body with the nutrients it needs to help it heal. If you've just had an intestinal flu, you've probably only eaten dry foods or broth in the last few days, so it's time to start reintroducing more complete and nutritious ingredients into your diet. Here are some suggestions:
- Avoid heavy or high-fat foods.
- Have several light snacks instead of the usual three large meals.
- Once a day, make a fresh fruit smoothie to fill up on nutrients and vitamins, which are the key to getting back in shape.
- Soups help you reintroduce vegetables and proteins into your diet, prepare them yourself with fresh and natural ingredients.
Step 4. Relieve muscle pain with heat
To get back to feeling fit, you don't just have to treat your stomach: cramps and muscle aches are in fact among the main symptoms of vomiting. The burning in your throat may have subsided, but your back may hurt from straining to vomit. The best way to relieve pain and cramps is to use heat; for instance:
- Relax for a long time in the bath. Add a cup of Epsom salts or a few drops of an essential oil with relaxing and anti-inflammatory properties, such as eucalyptus, peppermint or lavender, to the water - they will help you heal faster.
- Use a warm compress to relieve pain in a specific spot. For example, if you have cramps in your lower abdomen due to an intestinal virus, you can prepare a hot water bottle and place it directly on the inflamed area for relief.
- Massage a pain reliever cream on the part of your body that hurts, such as tiger balm. Just like hot compresses, these ointments can also help you reduce localized pain; in case of a headache, for example, you can apply the cream directly on the temples. Remember to wash your hands after use because the principles behind these products are very powerful and cause an increase in skin temperature in any part of the body with which they come in contact.
Step 5. Exercise, but in moderation
Getting out of bed and moving around after being sick helps you to reactivate blood circulation and therefore promotes the expulsion of toxins from the body. However, you should wait until you are completely healed before you start exercising again; Also, it is best to wait two or three weeks before returning to intense training. Resume your workouts slowly and gradually, giving yourself a week of semi-rest before returning to exercise at a moderate level, such as walking or running short distances. You can facilitate the return to normal with a bikram yoga class, which takes place in a room where the temperature is very high; sweating will help you to expel toxins and residual congesting substances. Especially in the latter case, remember to drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated!
- You may gradually return to physical activity with yoga sessions, which can help your immune system and help detoxify you completely.
- Just remember to keep staying hydrated, listen to your body and take it slow. Make sure you rest after doing any type of exercise.
Step 6. Talk to your doctor about using dietary supplements to boost your immune system and help you get better faster
Before trying any type of vitamin, talk to your doctor. Let him know if you are taking any other medications or supplements as well, as this would impact which supplements you can take safely. Some supplements that might help include:
- Vitamin D
- C vitamin
- Zinc
- Potassium
- Polyphenols, which you can naturally get from green tea and lots of fruits and vegetables
- Probiotics, which you can find in foods like yogurt and kefir
Step 7. Try anti-stress activities to help you get better
Vomiting or nausea can be a stressful experience. Unfortunately, stress can weaken your body and make recovery more difficult. If stress is affecting you, give yourself at least a few minutes every day to do things that help you relax. For example, you could do something like:
- Breathing exercises
- Meditate
- Light stretching or yoga
- Listen to some relaxing music
- Chat with a friend or loved one
- Devote yourself to a hobby or creative project
- Relax in the fresh air
- Massage
Step 8. Moisturize the skin
Illness can also negatively interfere with your outward state. Often, the flu also brings with it coughs and colds, conditions that can irritate and dry out the skin. In addition to taking care of the inside of your body, you will also need to pay some attention to your outward appearance. Purchase a moisturizer that contains lanolin, then apply it to the area surrounding your nose and mouth to give immediate relief to dry, inflamed skin. You can also use cocoa butter enriched with natural ingredients, such as coconut or argan oil which are great remedies for chapped lips.
Almond or sesame seed oil is also a great way to moisturize chapped skin. Make sure you choose products without preservatives and other additives
Part 2 of 2: Taking Care of Your Home
Step 1. Change the sheets
If you are sick, you will spend a good part of the day in bed, so the first thing to do is wash the dirty sheets. When you are not well, your body sweats a lot more than normal, turning the tissue into a den of germs that are dangerous to health. Don't wait any longer, wash the sheets to kill them! Completely unravel the bed, including the pillow cases, then wash everything in very hot water, adding some mild bleach to the colors. If you notice any stains, treat them with a stain remover before putting the sheets in the washing machine. Let the mattress air out for a few hours before making the bed with clean linens.
While you're sick, wash your sheets and pillow cases in hot water to kill germs and viruses, especially if you're sharing a bed with someone
Step 2. Thoroughly clean the bathroom
Whatever the type of flu, chances are you've spent a lot of time in the toilet coping with the symptoms of the disease. Whether your visits were just to get some more tissues or you spent several hours on the floor due to vomiting, cleaning the bathroom must be another of your top priorities. Here are some useful tips for properly sanitizing the toilet:
- Wash the bathrobe, towels, rags and all other fabric items in very hot water with the addition of a little mild bleach on the colors.
- Disinfect all surfaces, focusing mainly on the countertops and the toilet bowl. You can purchase a cleaner that contains bleach, or you can make a disinfectant mixture yourself with one part water and one part alcohol or wine vinegar.
- Empty and disinfect the waste bin.
- Replace your toothbrush with a new one or soak the bristles in hydrogen peroxide for half an hour to kill all bacteria.
- If you cleaned using a sponge, throw it away immediately after you are done. If you used a cloth instead, wash it in the washing machine at a high temperature.
- Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to the cleaning solution you use to scrub the floor. The smell will relieve your airways, and the oil could help kill germs and viruses potentially present in the environment.
Step 3. Disinfect the kitchen
While you were sick, you might not have used it much, but just making yourself a cup of tea may have left traces of germs that could infect the other occupants of the house. Disinfect the kitchen using disinfectant wipes, a cleaner that contains bleach, or a home-made sanitizing mixture with one part water and one part alcohol or wine vinegar. The points of the kitchen that you must not neglect to clean thoroughly are:
- Work plans;
- Refrigerator handle;
- Taps;
- Pantry, cupboard and drawer handles;
- All the crockery you used.
Step 4. Sanitize all other points you have come into contact with
It is not easy to remember what things you touched while you were sick, but do your best to try to disinfect everything you came in contact with. This step can actually help keep you healthy and reduce the chances of making someone else sick. Make sure you choose the right cleaner for each item to avoid damaging the surface, especially when cleaning electronic devices. In addition to the areas you've already cleaned, the things you're most likely to have come into contact with include:
- Thermometer;
- Bathroom cabinet and drawer handles;
- Door handles;
- Switches, including the plates surrounding them;
- Electronic devices, such as computers, cell phones, landlines, remote controls, mice and keyboards.
Step 5. Wash any clothes you wore while sick
Now that your bed, bathroom, kitchen, and all surfaces you have come into contact with are perfectly disinfected, you need to eliminate the last refuge of the disease germs: your clothes. Put in the washing machine all the pajamas, sweaters and clothes that have made you feel warm and comfortable during the past days, then wash them with very hot water adding a little mild bleach on the colors; in this way you will be sure that you have killed all possible bacteria and that you are in a safe and clean environment.
If you share your home with other people, wash your clothing separately from theirs as a preventative measure. Do a bleach wash cycle after cleaning your clothes to disinfect the washing machine
Step 6. Air the rooms in the house
After days spent indoors with the windows sealed and the curtains drawn, it is certainly very useful to let in light and clean air. Open all the windows, then let some wind bring in fresh, clean air. Replacing stale air filled with volatile bacteria with oxygen-rich air will make you feel invigorated and refreshed. If the weather is cold, open the windows for only a minute or two; otherwise, leave them open for the desired time.
Advice
- Do not strain in the weeks following the disease. If your body's signals tell you to slow down, listen to them. Just because you feel a little better doesn't mean you're fully healed already!
- Drinking plenty of water and eating foods rich in vitamins and nutrients not only helps you heal quickly, it protects you from getting sick again in the future.
