Thursday, 23 February 2023 | 14:40
Aulia Hafisa
Body aches Illustration ( Kindel Media/Pexels)

TheIndonesia.id - Why My Body Aches When I Aam Sick? What Can I Do About It?

Sometimes, when you have the symptoms of flu, cold, or virus, your body might feel aches. Unlike the muscle aches that can come on after too many squats, body aches caused by illness tend to make your body feel dull pain and discomfort. So, what can you do about body aches?

Quoting Uclahealth, here are some relief from full-body aches you can find in your home. 

What causes body aches?

When you have flu, cold, or virus infection, your immune system jumps to action. It will release the white blood cells to fight off the infection. The reaction can cause inflammation, which can leave your muscles feeling achy. 

Fever Illustration (Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels)

However, you don't have to worry. Your achiness is a sign that your body is immune to fighting off the illness. The harder your body works, the more severely your body might ache. 

Full-body aches are also accompanied by other symptoms such as:

What should you do?

The best way to eliminate full-body aches is to treat the underlying cause of the aching. But as you are waiting for treatment and waiting for the virus to run its course, do these treatments.

Stay hydrated

Some symptoms of the flu such as sweating, vomiting, and diarrhea can leave you dehydrated. Water is an essential part of your body to fight infection. Drinking plenty of water, broth, tea, or electrolyte drinks will make your body's function goes normal.

Use heat to relax your muscle

Heat can loosen muscles and provide relief from body aches. If you don't have a severe fever, a warm bath can be relaxing. However, avoid making the temperature too hot. Heating pads or blankets can also bring you comfort.

Regulate your body temperature

Full-body aches often go hand-in-hand with a fever. As a higher body temperature causes you to shiver, your muscles tense up and may begin to ache. To regulate your body temperature, reach for fever-reducing pain medicine, take a cool bath, and use only a thin blanket or sheet.

Rest

Sleeping illustration (Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels)

According to the research, the immune system and sleep are closely connected. Sleep strengthens the body's defense system. When the body is fighting infection, it carves more sleep. So, try to rest as much as possible. It will relax your muscles and speed up the healing process.

When to see a doctor?

Body aches from a viral illness typically clear up in a couple of days and improve with home remedies. However, if your body aches haven't got better in 3-5 days, don't hesitate to contact your doctor.

See a doctor sooner if your body aches:

If you don't have a fever or other symptoms, but you experience body aches often or for prolonged periods of time, make an appointment with your doctor. It could be a sign of a drug reaction or a more severe and chronic underlying medical condition, such as an autoimmune disease.