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Flu Season: How to Bounce Back from a Cold

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Kean chapter.

Autumn is finally here and so is flu season…unfortunately! Although this is that time of the year for leaves to fall and for people to prepare for Halloween, it’s also that time of the year to catch the flu or a cold. Therefore…caveat!

Chances are that one of your friends, a family member, or someone at school has already caught the flu or a cold. So, instead of writing about ways that can prevent you from catching that same bacteria or virus, I will write about what you can do to bounce back from sickness…just in case!

Unfortunately, I have had a cold for a week (although it seems like it has been forever). I’m usually the last one in my family to catch the flu or a cold, but this year, I was the first one. However, I took good care of myself; in fact, I’m starting to feel a lot better. I followed three simple methods and now, I would like to share them with you.

1) Eat Soup and Drink Hot Liquids — Soup is good for you, especially when you are sick. Whether it’s chicken soup or vegetable soup, drink lots of it because it will make you feel better. If you have a sore throat or if you are congested, hot soup will help you sooth your throat and it will also help you clear your sinus allowing you to breathe more easily. The same goes for drinking hot liquids. Boil some water and make yourself a cup of regular tea, green tea, or chamomile. Add lemon, honey or both to your drink and you will begin to see an improvement.

2) Relax — When you are sick, your body becomes weak and you will need all the energy that you can get. Therefore, it’s very important that you relax. If you have to do homework, put your books and your laptop aside for once. If you are scheduled to work, call in sick. Lay in bed or on the couch. Watch television or take a nap. It’s okay to take it easy when you are not feeling well.

3) Take Medicines — Whether you have the flu or a cold, you should take medicines. If you have a fever, call your physician and schedule an appointment. Most likely, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics. However, if you are just feeling a little bit under the weather, (sore throat, cough, and/or congestion) then take over-the-counter medication. They might prevent you from becoming sicker.

Hopefully, you will be luckier than me this year by being able to miss both the flu and the cold train. But if you do catch it, keep those three methods in mind and take good care of yourself!

 

(Photo credit)

Francesca was born and raised in Sicily, and speaks Italian fluently. She migrated to the United States with her family when she was 11-years-old. Francesca did not speak English when she arrived in the U.S., but that did not stop her from continuing to be a good student. She always enjoyed learning and opening her mind to new ideas and concepts. Francesca's favorite quote is "Veni, Vidi, Vici" (I came, I saw, I conquered) by Julius Caesar. That quote doesn't only relate to Francesca migrating to the U.S., learning a new language and adapting to a new culture, but it also relates to her battle against cancer. She was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma in 2005 and completed all of her treatments in 2006. She has been a cancer survivor since then. Francesca continues to live her life to the fullest and to achieve success. She is currently a Communications/Journalism student at Kean University, NJ. Prior attending Kean, she attended Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg, NJ, where she earned her Associate's Degree in both Communications and English. Francesca is passionate about writing and editing. She has written several news and feature articles for The Tower, Kean's student newspaper, and she is currently the Head Online Editor for The Tower. Francesca is also an intern at www.thealternativepress.com, where she covers events and meetings in Westfield, NJ. Her career goals include writing feature stories for The New York Times and eventually, launching her own magazine company. When she's not busy, Francesca loves to spend time with her family and her friends. She enjoys cooking and creating new recipes, watching movies with her boyfriend and simply relaxing. After the fall semester is over, she plans to launch her own blog about her two favorite topics: fashion and food. A little advice from Francesca: "You can do anything you set your mind to."