Beating Freshers Flu
Some of you will have already experienced freshers week, be slap bang in the middle of it, or maybe looking forward to it next week, but by the end of it you will have seen a few new sites, met some new people and drank lots!
But, all the commotion, partying and meeting new friends does come at a cost for some, with being struck down with freshers flu.
What is freshers flu?
Freshers flu happens because there are loads of people (thousands and sometimes even hundreds of thousands) descending on campus in a matter of a few weeks. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and will have different levels of defense against a whole host of bacteria, infections and colds&flu – you’ll probably find that there are many international students that study at your university (and even on your course, especially at Master’s level), so they may be affected differently by the bug.
The flu is a virus that will try to affect everyone. Some people will get a little sniffle and not be too bad, whilst others may even end up in bed for a few days and miss some lectures, or other important meetings/gatherings – yup lectures are important 🙂
Tips for preventing getting the flu
- Sleep on it – getting at least 7/8 hours of sleep a night should allow your immune system and the rest of your body to combat any viruses or infections that you could come into contact with you.
- Keep on eating – yes, we are all busy and miss some meals during the day, or just feel like not eating anything (probably because we’ve got a bear in one hand and a cigarette in the other). But, skipping meals will land you in hot water with your body’s defenses against the flu.
- Greens and Veg – even if you keep to your 2/3 meals a day, but just eat junk food then this isn’t going to help. Lighten up and have a salad with that lasagne, it’ll help you – the big Vit C is a must, even if you choose to take it through a tablet form, you need to consume this friendly vitamin to keep you healthy.
- Relax and Revive – getting too stressed about any situation will reduce the combat effect that your body has to ward off any attacking viruses. Relax, go to the gym, do your favourite sport, or how I like relaxing – go to the pub and watch footy with a few mates – obviously consuming a little alcohol 😉
- Don’t go overboard – drinking lots has to be done when you get to uni in the first few weeks, heck I blew most of my student loan in the first month or so on booze. But, word of advice, drink too much too quickly, results in waking up next to someone different everyday (or two), which could result in you catching the bug. By all means have a goog time 😉 but be aware.
Tips for combating the flu
- Keep the fluids up – Drink plenty of non-alcoholic drinks, alcohol will only impede recovery. Water really isn’t to everyones taste, so lucozade or ribena (hot) are some drinks which have helped people I know in the past – the main thing is to stay hydrated.
- Take some drugs – and I mean legal ones! Paracetomol or asprin are good for combating the affects. Some people prefer to use a cold and flu remedy in capsules or soluble form (‘lemsip’) – whatever works for you should be best, but remember always read the instructions.
- Swallow some Linctus – have a sore throat or cough (or both)? Then, you’re best to take some linctus that will help sooth that throat and cough. Linctus can be commonly found in sudafed cough medicine.
- Take it easy – try not to do too much over the few days that you have fresher’s flu as this will help you recover. Don’t be a loner, but try to stay away from student gatherings, as this won’t help you or others – it’s only going to last a few days so you won’t be forgotten!
- Get it out – Cough, sneeze and blow that nose – into a tissue of course. Always try to get the phlegm and ‘bad stuff’ out of your body. It isn’t meant to be there and ‘sniffing it up’ will only impede your recovery.
If you do feel really unwell and have any kind of rash, then I suggest you go and see a doctor.
Here’s to you getting better and beating freshers flu!
The Discussion