5 Things Sick People Need to Stop Doing

You’re coughing, sneezing, and wheezing, desperately seeking relief by any means necessary. You start experimenting with different remedies, hoping to find something that will alleviate your symptoms faster. While you might occasionally stumble upon a quick fix, it's more likely that you'll inadvertently extend your suffering by a day or two.

“People don’t understand that colds are self-limiting,” said Veronica Nieto, an assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Texas A&M. “Our bodies are naturally designed to get rid of infection on their own. With a cold or the flu, we’re just treating symptoms. We’re not getting rid of the actual virus that’s causing it.”

In essence, no remedy will make the virus disappear faster. However, if you're not careful, some self-prescribed "remedies" might actually prolong your symptoms.

1. You overload on cold meds.

ou take an antihistamine, but after 15 minutes, you still feel miserable. So, you decide to take another dose, or perhaps add some Tylenol to the mix. “People don’t really understand when the drug is supposed to start working,” Nieto explained to Yahoo Health. “Many of these products take at least 30 minutes to an hour before they start kicking in.” Unfortunately, in their eagerness to feel better, people often think that more medication will lead to faster relief.

But what actually happens is this: as per experts at Nasal Product Development Support, when you overload on cold meds, you may actually develop a whole new set of symptoms—or exacerbate the ones you already have. For instance, taking an extra dose of a first-generation antihistamine like Benadryl can leave you feeling extremely drowsy and lethargic, mimicking cold symptoms and defeating the purpose, according to Nieto. Another risk involves taking too much acetaminophen, a common pain reliever in many over-the-counter cold medications, which can lead to serious skin reactions and, over time, liver damage, she noted.

2. You blow your nose — hard.

Blowing your nose might seem like the obvious quick fix when it's running, and while it provides temporary relief, it can lead to longer-term issues. “If you blow your nose vigorously, you can propel nasal fluid into your sinus cavities,” explained Dr. Jack Gwaltney, Jr., founder of CommonCold.org. “That fluid may contain bacteria and viruses, which can then cause an infection.”

If you need relief from the dripping, go ahead and blow your nose, but avoid squeezing your nostrils. This may reduce the amount of fluid that gets into your sinuses, Gwaltney advised.

3. You down a pot of coffee and power through the misery.

Playing the martyr only achieves two things: making your coworkers sick and prolonging your own suffering. “With the cold and flu, your body needs time to recover,” said Nieto. “Rest and hydration are the best remedies. Then treat the symptoms as they become bothersome.”

And no, chugging a pot of coffee for energy doesn’t help. Excess caffeine will dehydrate you, potentially setting you back a few days, and it will keep you up at night, worsening your symptoms, warned Nieto.

4. You take leftover antibiotics in your medicine cabinet.

When cold meds don't seem to work, some people turn to leftover antibiotics from previous illnesses. “Antibiotics might seem like a quick fix, but they are ineffective against colds or flu, which are caused by viruses,” Gwaltney explained.

Moreover, if you do develop a bacterial infection along with your cold, self-medicating with leftover antibiotics can interfere with proper diagnosis. “You probably won’t take enough to be effective,” Gwaltney noted. “But you might take just enough to prevent bacterial cultures from identifying the infection.” This can hinder your doctor from prescribing the right treatment.

5. You ignore the directions on your nasal spray.

Decongestant sprays like Afrin provide instant relief for a clogged nose, but they should only be used for a short period. “These sprays decrease swelling in your nasal blood vessels, helping you breathe,” said Nieto.

However, using the spray beyond the recommended three days can cause “rebound congestion,” where the drug triggers inflammation, returning you to the initial swollen state. This cycle of relief followed by worsening symptoms is definitely not what you want, emphasized Nieto.