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Friday, May 20, 2016

What Happens When You Get Sick


I'm sick.  Just in time for the long weekend, too.  Hope this is a quick one.

Somehow, reading this article about what happens when you're sick inside your body made me feel better.  Not physically, but mentally maybe?

I had a sore throat - now I know why.  The body encountered the infection and sent blood and antibodies to fight it... which caused pain.  So it wasn't actually the invader that hurt my throat - it was my own body.

Ugh.

That went away after one day, and now it's more of a chest cold, muscle aches, headache, and lethargy.  Interesting thing about the muscle aches...

This happens because of chemicals released to fight the invader tend to cause inflammation in muscles and joints, and often muscle enzyme levels are elevated in the blood as a result of this. Ow. When antibodies bind to the virus or bacteria they deactivate it and make it more easily digestible to white cells. However, this process causes inflammation and tissue irritation

Whelp that sounds about right.

Should I Exercise?

I've always pushed through regardless, but it never felt helpful.  It probably isn't - when you think about all your body is doing to fight off the invader, inflame itself, create antibodies and white blood cells... it's under a lot of stress as it is.  The last thing it needs is me going balls-out on a run or bike.

That being said, I'm not one to sit still.  It's too nice out.  Maybe I'll go for a walk or do some light gardening or something.  Restraint (which I lack) is key I think.

What About Alcohol?

This one I'm less sure of.  Presumably dehydration would be a negative, but the odd nip makes me feel better.  Not my throat, though, but the rest of me... I don't think it lengthens the illness, so I won't abstain.

What Else Can You Do?

Nothing.  Lots of people are willing to sell you shit anyway, but how do I put this nicely... they're bullshit.

People take stuff, get better, then feel like they worked.  No scientific basis for this, though - illnesses get better on their own most of the time (90%+), that's what they do.  Your body is good at this stuff, and other than antibiotics for a bacterial infection there's nothing you can do but rest and feed.




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