10 Rules for Cold and Flu Recovery

When cold and flu season arrives, you may feel like you're just sitting around, waiting to get sick. When someone in your family or office gets sick, you may be thinking it's only a matter of time before the common cold or flu virus sidelines you for days, disrupting your routine.

If you should find yourself sick in bed this season, we suggest following these 10 rules to aid in your recovery:

1. Get as much sleep as possible to help the body recover.

2. Stay hydrated to help reduce a fever and prevent dehydration if you find yourself vomiting. Drinking an electrolyte-enhanced beverage or coconut water can help replenish lost fluids and herbal tea can also be beneficial in calming your stomach and soothing a sore throat.

3. Do your best to eat what you can, avoiding dairy and junk food that can irritate the stomach. Broth is an excellent choice as well as meal replacement shakes to provide nutrients.

4. Know when to exercise. If your symptoms are in your head, exercise should be OK, but if they're in your chest or stomach, be sure to take it easy. When you do return to your normal training routine, ease back into in slowly.

5. Try adding one of these supplements to your routine to aid the body in recovery without drugs.

6. Take an over-the-counter (OTC) painkiller to reduce discomfort such as body aches and to bring down a fever. An OTC cold medicine may also be helpful to reduce symptoms such as coughing, congestion and runny nose.

7. Clean out your sinuses with a neti pot to remove built up mucus or other irritants and reduce inflammation.

8. Use a humidifier to add moisture into the air. This can be helpful if you have a cold that's resulted in a sore throat and irritated nasal passages.

9. Stay home from work as much as possible to avoid taxing your body and spreading your illness.

10. Keep an eye on your symptoms and go see a doctor if you don't improve as expected.

Keep these rules in mind to help you get over your cold or flu faster. Check back soon for more of the latest health news and information.