Sleep during colds. Treatment of colds Why do you sleep poorly when you are sick?

Intoxication. Virus infection disables individual cells and disrupts the functioning of internal organs. It takes energy to restore them. Slow performance nerve cells. Hypoxia. Infected cells do not receive the required amount of oxygen. This is especially true in winter with low temperatures and short daylight hours. Lack of oxygen also affects the production of melatonin, one of the hormones of happiness. Slowing metabolism. This is observed both simply with the onset of cold weather, and during illness.

headaches, nausea - possible inflammation meninges; chest pain - a complication of of cardio-vascular system; coughing with purulent sputum, increased temperature - latent pneumonia is possible.

The consequence of a cold is asthenia

long duration; inability to rest the body even after a long sleep; the need for medical intervention.

Sleep problems. Increasing nighttime insomnia leads to constant daytime sleepiness. Even if you manage to get a full night's sleep, you still feel tired in the morning. Emotional instability. The impossibility of physical rest affects morale. A person’s level of performance and ability to concentrate on tasks decreases. This leads to irritability, mood swings, anxiety states and constant tension. Malfunctions of the autonomic nervous system. This system controls uninterrupted operation various internal organs. Disorders caused by asthenia lead to loss of appetite, headaches, decreased libido, cardiac arrhythmia, increased sweating, lack of air, and a sharp perception of loud sounds.

Water therapy - swimming in the pool, taking relaxing baths with sea ​​salt or essential oils, cold and hot shower, visiting the sauna. Small physical exercise- morning work-out, hiking, yoga. At the same time, it is important not to overwork. Massage will tone your muscles and help you relax. Fresh air - in addition to walking, it is necessary to ventilate the room, especially before going to bed. Adequate sun exposure. Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, the body produces a hormone that improves mood. Positive attitude. For some time you need to try to exclude stressful situations and communicating with unpleasant people.

Vitamins. It can be special complexes, which are sold in pharmacies, but must be prescribed by a doctor. You can use healthy foods: fruits, rose hips, whole grain cereals, sprouted seeds, lean fish and meats, nuts. Iodine. Contained in seaweed and seafood. Enzymes. Daily consumption will help to compensate for the lack of enzymes in sufficient quantities. fermented milk products, fresh herbs and vegetables. Herbal teas, fruit drinks. These drinks have a calming effect and cleanse the body of toxins formed during the period of illness. Ginger tea, immortelle decoction, lingonberry and cranberry fruit drinks are good tonics.

Why do you feel weak when you have a cold?

In autumn, the cold season begins. It is difficult to protect yourself from colds during mass epidemics. At work, in public transport There will always be someone who is sneezing, coughing or has a runny nose. The virus quickly enters our body and we get sick. One of the first signs of a cold is weakness, aches throughout the body, and apathy. We feel completely defeated. It’s hard for us to get out of bed in the morning and it’s hard for us to go to the doctor. If we nevertheless decide to go to work in this state, then the weakness is felt even more strongly. Often, it is when we arrive at work that we realize that we are sick and leave for treatment.

The cause of weakness and asthenia during colds is the intoxication of our body with toxins of bacteria and viruses. As the temperature rises, our body seems to “break down.” This is a manifestation of pain, which is also caused by intoxication. It depletes our body from the inside, and the illness can drag on for two long weeks. According to neurologists, during illness there is a disturbance in the metabolism of brain neurons and, as a consequence, weakness, headache, muscle pain, “aches” in the bones and joints. Research data show that weakness during a cold is experienced by 44% of patients.

Weakness due to a cold, what to do?

For weakness to go away, you need to take general strengthening measures. Proper nutrition If you have a cold, it is the key to a quick recovery. The diet should contain foods with sufficient glucose and vitamin C. Grapes, bananas, carrots, cherries, cherries, strawberries, plums, grains, cereals, cabbage - these foods are rich in glucose. Vegetables and fruits red and yellow color contain beta caratine. In the body it is converted into vitamin A. A large amount of this vitamin is found in liver, eggs and butter. The largest amount of vitamin C is found in rose hips, sweet peppers, sea buckthorn, kiwi, parsley, and lemon. Don't forget about garlic. It has good bactericidal properties.

In order for the immune system to function properly, the body must receive the proteins it needs. Fish, meat, and legumes are rich in proteins. For proper nutrition, fish and meat should be on our tables every day. Dishes made from peas, beans or lentils can be eaten once a week.

To ensure that the body receives more oxygen, ventilate the room more often during the day. Carry out active strengthening water procedures. Melanin and serotonin are responsible for our emotional mood, and therefore for the state of weakness. To them, in mandatory, sunlight is needed. In winter, the human body experiences a significant deficiency sunlight. If there is sufficiently bright light in the room, this will restore balance and weakness will be felt less.

If we talk about medications, then paracetamol is a good way to relieve weakness during colds. It contains active substances that reduce feelings of weakness and headaches. The components of paracetamol affect the center of pain and thermoregulation. This helps lower body temperature, reduce pain in the throat, joints and bones. You can take paracetamol in its pure form, or you can take medications containing it. Pharmacies now offer a wide variety of medications containing paracetamol.

Scientists say that taking zinc helps most effectively during colds. Taking zinc-containing drugs reduces the duration of the disease by half. This is explained by the effect of zinc on immune system. Zinc is found in seafood, lamb, legumes, and pumpkin seeds.

Drowsiness with a cold

When a person gets sick with the flu or a common cold, in addition to the usual symptoms such as a runny nose and fever, constant fatigue and weakness appear. This is explained by the fact that the body spends all its energy on recovery, and there is no strength left for ordinary things.

These symptoms, combined with headache and fever, make life unbearable. But the worst thing is that even after suffering from the disease it can for a long time severe fatigue persists, and in some cases asthenic syndrome develops.

How does weakness manifest during a cold?

During and after a cold, a person may feel depressed and tired. It normally takes two weeks to restore the body’s defenses and get rid of traces of the past illness. At this time, weakness may be present, which is expressed in two ways:

• physical – a person feels tired, sometimes even after sleep, there is no strength to carry out everyday chores;
• psychological – nervous exhaustion. It can manifest itself in irritability, insomnia, depression, apathy. Later, attention and concentration problems occur.

During a cold, when a person is at home, he can afford proper rest. But when it is necessary to return to usual duties, weakness is especially inconvenient. Indeed, in addition to constant fatigue and the inability to rest, a person is not able to concentrate on work, especially if it requires mental effort. This condition is dangerous because it causes loss of appetite and reduces physical activity, which further aggravates the situation. Vitamin deficiency and depletion of the body may occur. All this is the basis for the development of new pathologies.

Weakness and drowsiness: causes and complications

A sick person's energy is spent fighting the virus. When the body produces antibodies, its temperature rises. And with the loss of heat, energy is also wasted. Sometimes a person, on the contrary, feels chills, his breathing quickens, and he feels aching in his muscles. To cope with this, the body also has to spend a lot of effort. Therefore, weakness, dizziness, drowsiness - usual symptoms respiratory diseases.

Among physiological reasons, which cause weakening of the body during and after the illness, the following are distinguished:

1. Intoxication. Viral infection disables individual cells and disrupts the functioning of internal organs. It takes energy to restore them.
2. Slowing down the functioning of nerve cells.
3. Hypoxia. Infected cells do not receive the required amount of oxygen. This is especially true in winter with low temperatures and short daylight hours. Lack of oxygen also affects the production of melatonin, one of the hormones of happiness.
4. Slowing metabolism. This is observed both simply with the onset of cold weather, and during illness.

Fatigue after illness for a short period of time - normal phenomenon. But if this condition drags on and worsens, then the help of a specialist is needed. This may be a signal of the development of complications. TO dangerous symptoms after suffering from the flu include:

• headaches, nausea – possible inflammation of the meninges;
• chest pain – a complication of the cardiovascular system;
• severe cough with purulent sputum, increased temperature - latent pneumonia is possible.

The consequence of a cold is asthenia

Constant weakness and fatigue after a cold can develop into an independent disease requiring separate treatment. This condition is called asthenia. Most often it occurs in cases where, even before illness, a person was overtired and felt a lack of energy. Asthenia develops gradually. When a person ignores the first signs of weakness or he is forced to urgently return to work without allowing the body to recover, an even greater deterioration in well-being occurs. This is how minor fatigue ends in insomnia, migraines and depression.

If a person has suffered a severe infectious disease, such as influenza or pneumonia, then there is a high probability of developing asthenic syndrome. This is associated with large losses during recovery. The entire body becomes vulnerable. The resulting drowsiness and fatigue are often ignored or another explanation is found for them. Meanwhile, asthenia progresses. The main differences between it and ordinary fatigue are:

• long duration;
• inability to rest the body even after a long sleep;
• the need for medical intervention.

The main symptoms of asthenic syndrome are weakness and fatigue. The accompanying signs are divided into three categories:

1. Sleep problems. Increasing nighttime insomnia leads to constant daytime sleepiness. Even if you manage to get a full night's sleep, you still feel tired in the morning.
2. Emotional instability. The impossibility of physical rest affects morale. A person’s level of performance and ability to concentrate on tasks decreases. This leads to irritability, mood swings, anxiety and constant tension.
3. Malfunctions of the autonomic nervous system. This system controls the smooth functioning of various internal organs. Disorders caused by asthenia lead to loss of appetite, headaches, decreased libido, cardiac arrhythmia, increased sweating, lack of air, and a sharp perception of loud sounds.

On early stage asthenic syndrome is expressed in a change in human behavior - incontinence, irritability, increased excitability, impatience, and decreased self-control. This type of disorder is called hypersthenic. There is also a hyposthenic variety of this pathology, when passivity and apathy predominate in the patient’s behavior. In this case, the person does not have enough strength to perform ordinary actions, drowsiness and exhaustion are felt.

Where to get strength during illness and after it?

At colds Complex drugs have a positive effect. They are aimed at eliminating unpleasant symptoms: fever, rhinitis, headache and muscle pain, as well as weakness. But you should be careful when choosing such drugs, since some of them are antihistamines and cause drowsiness, as well as decreased concentration.

A correctly prescribed drug will help not only cope with cold symptoms, but also overcome weakness. This is achieved due to the presence of caffeine and ascorbic acid in the composition. Caffeine has an invigorating effect on the patient and activates the functioning of the cardiac system. It can also slightly improve mood. Vitamin C is necessary for the normal functioning of various body systems. When you have a cold, the need for it is especially great, as it increases the patient’s immune strength. Active ingredient Most complex drugs are paracetamol. It normalizes a person’s body temperature and thus also helps improve his physical condition.

To prevent simple fatigue after a cold from developing into a new disease, you need to take time to replenish the body’s strength. To do this you need to restore physical health, strengthen the immune system and psychologically tune in to vigorous activity. This can be done by following simple procedures:

1. Water therapy - swimming in the pool, taking relaxing baths with sea salt or essential oils, contrast showers, visiting the sauna.
2. Light physical activity - morning exercises, walking, yoga. At the same time, it is important not to overwork.
3. Massage will tone your muscles and help you relax.
4. Fresh air - in addition to walking, it is necessary to ventilate the room, especially before going to bed.
5. Adequate sun exposure. Under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, the body produces a hormone that improves mood.
6. Positive attitude. For some time, you need to try to eliminate stressful situations and communication with unpleasant people.

Nutrition plays a special role in the fight against weakness and fatigue caused by a cold. The diet of a weakened person should include the following components:

1. Vitamins. These may be special complexes that are sold in pharmacies, but they must be prescribed by a doctor. You can use healthy foods: fruits, rose hips, whole grain cereals, sprouted seeds, lean fish and meats, nuts.
2. Iodine. Contained in seaweed and seafood.
3. Enzymes. Daily consumption of fermented milk products, fresh herbs and vegetables will help to compensate for the lack of enzymes in sufficient quantities.
4. Herbal teas, fruit drinks. These drinks have a calming effect and cleanse the body of toxins formed during the period of illness. Ginger tea, immortelle decoction, lingonberry and cranberry fruit drinks are good tonics.

Severe weakness and drowsiness caused by a cold - alarming symptoms, which cannot be ignored. By taking time to restore your body, you can avoid many health problems in the future.

What to do if you feel weak after a cold

Causes

Weakness during a cold is a symptom that is familiar to everyone. It appears one of the first and persists throughout the febrile period. This is a natural manifestation of an infectious disease. But the feeling of weakness and general malaise is taken for granted only during the height of the illness. If weakness and dizziness occur after a cold, this can seriously alarm the patient.

Nonspecific manifestations that bother patients along with weakness (increased fatigue, headache, poor sleep, etc.) were combined into a single syndrome called asthenic. Asthenia is divided into many different variants and can be associated with both organic and functional disorders.

Asthenic syndrome cannot be called a mandatory consequence of ARVI; the exception is influenza - especially with a severe form of the disease and the presence of complications.

Asthenia may be observed in patients of different ages. Most often it is characteristic of older people - against the background age-related changes and chronic diseases, the body is depleted faster, and infectious process only aggravates the condition. Contributing factors may also include:

1. Severe acute respiratory infection which led to asthenia.
2. Disturbance of biological rhythms (shift work, frequent flights, forced lack of sleep, etc.).
3. Unbalanced diet (predominance of fats and carbohydrates, lack of vitamins, irregular food intake).
4. Nervous tension (work associated with a high level of responsibility, unfavorable psychological situation in the family).

Weakness after a cold often occurs in people who are constantly overtired, have chronic pathologies of the nervous, endocrine, and gastrointestinal systems, and also abuse alcohol. It is classified as post-infectious asthenia and is reversible with the right therapeutic approach.

Symptoms

Asthenic syndrome, which develops after a cold, is characterized by several main manifestations, including:

The complaint of constant weakness is often one of the first heard by the doctor at the appointment. The patient’s description of his own condition may sound like “constant fatigue,” “reluctance to do anything,” “lack of strength to complete tasks that were previously easy.” Often people around and the patients themselves perceive a sharp decline performance as a manifestation of laziness, which makes the patient suffer from reproaches or awareness of his own inadequacy. The feeling of weakness intensifies during physical or mental work, so not only people employed in production, mining, or construction are at risk, but also research fellows, teachers, students.

Irritability, drowsiness during the day and insomnia at night are probable symptoms post-infectious asthenia. The patient cannot fully rest, which aggravates the feeling of weakness. Autonomic disorders include changes in pressure and body temperature, chills, dizziness, as well as headaches, abdominal pain, nausea, and sweating. Subject to change taste preferences, appetite is disturbed.

Weakness and sweating after a cold are typical manifestations of asthenia, which, however, require differential diagnosis. The patient is asked to pay attention to the time of onset of these symptoms, the duration of persistence, the relationship with physical activity and disturbing events. It is also necessary to determine body temperature at different hours. The detection of low-grade fever may indicate various pathologies, including those of an infectious nature.

The duration of post-infectious asthenia depends on the functional capabilities of the body and the conditions in which it is located.

Recovery may take several days or weeks. If weakness and other symptoms do not disappear, but, on the contrary, intensify or the clinical picture is supplemented by new pathological characteristics, this must be reported to the attending physician.

Treatment

How to recover if you feel weak after a cold? The most correct decision is to start preventing asthenia during treatment of the disease. This will minimize the risk of complications and speed up recovery.

If you ask to list what needs to be done in case of weakness due to a cold, you will hear from most people: go to bed. This requirement remains relevant for any variant of ARVI or bacterial infection. During the feverish period, you should rest, drink more fluids, and under no circumstances allow excessive exertion. Of course, it is also mandatory to follow the doctor’s recommendations and take prescribed medications.

The tactics of managing patients with already developed post-infectious asthenia necessarily includes correction of the work and rest regime. This is the basis of therapy, without which any medications are unlikely to be effective. If it is not possible to change the order of work shifts, you need to plan your schedule. A schedule for waking up and going to bed is drawn up, the main requirement for which is systematicity. It is better to fall asleep and wake up at the same time, with at least 8 hours allocated for sleep.

Nutrition correction is also required. For this purpose, it is necessary to evaluate:

• composition and calorie content of the diet;
• combinations of food components;
• meeting energy needs.

The caloric content of food must correspond to energy costs. People engaged in heavy physical labor need additional sources of energy. You should give up alcohol and do not abuse drinks containing caffeine. Under no circumstances should you drink so-called “tonics” and “energy cocktails” - the effect of restoring strength is deceptive.

Physical activity is recommended. They should be moderate, strictly dosed, systematic. The possibility of physical education and types of exercises must be discussed with the doctor - especially if the patient has chronic pathologies.

Can also be used to combat weakness after a cold medications– adaptogens (Eleutherococcus, Echinatia), amino acids (stimol). They help normalize sleep, restore energy balance, and have a tonic effect.

Reviews and comments

A therapist with 20 years of experience, Sergei Aleksandrovich Ryzhikov, answers your questions.

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drowsiness with a cold

Weakness persists after a cold: recovery methods

The body's defense mechanism spends a lot of energy fighting diseases. After recovery, the defense mechanisms gain energy again, and at this time the body is in hibernation mode, that is, resting.

Therefore, after any illness, a person may feel exhausted, weak, and develop sudden fatigue even with little energy expenditure.

Medicine has established that under favorable conditions, restoration of immunity after illness takes about 2 weeks. During this period, there is a general feeling of malaise and an incorrect division of forces.

After a cold, the most common symptoms are weakness, lack of appetite, quick loss strength, sometimes apathy.

How weakness appears after a cold

Weakness is interpreted as a lack of strength. A condition of the body in which there is not enough strength for natural needs, for example, movement.

• Physical – the classic interpretation, when the body quickly gets tired or cannot rest at all. There may be situations in which a person feels tired even after many hours of sleep.

• Psychological – weakness in which the state of the nervous system suffers. There may be a lack of interest in what is happening around, interest in business, a desire for loneliness, and apathy.

With increasing weakness comes absent-mindedness and inattention, and the ability to concentrate disappears. Things that require mental stress and concentration are not possible.

Note! Weakness after illness is comparable to the symptoms of prolonged fasting - vitamin deficiency, exhaustion and dehydration.

Lack of appetite and low mobility with weakness lead to dizziness, brittle hair and nails, and general pallor of the skin.

Why doesn't the body rest?

When a virus or infection enters the body, the immune system launches the main defense mechanism. At the same time, body temperature rises.

A person loses a lot of heat, which is vitally important - heat equals energy.

“Weakness”: what causes it, how to deal with it

Headache, weakness... Most people, noticing these symptoms, immediately understand that they have a cold. Weakness is extremely unpleasant; it prevents you not only from doing important things, but also from simply performing your usual actions. And often fever, weakness and headache bother us at the same time, and we want to find a remedy that would eliminate all these symptoms at once. There is a solution to the problem of malaise - complex preparations for colds and flu.

How does “weakness” manifest in infectious diseases?

When you have a cold or flu, asthenic syndrome often occurs due to intoxication of the body. This painful condition is accompanied by instability of mood, impatience, weakening of self-control, restlessness, drowsiness and sleep disturbance, intolerance to strong odors, bright lights, and loud sounds. Irritability appears (increased excitability with rapid onset of exhaustion), emotional lability (increased fatigue and exhaustion of the nervous system), periods of displeasure and moodiness, and tearfulness. Headache is often present simultaneously. weakness, drowsiness and fever. In the case of a combination of these symptoms, we can say with a high degree of confidence that the malaise is associated with ARVI.

How to get rid of "weakness"

Complex products RINZA® and RINZASip® with vitamin C can help eliminate symptoms such as weakness and headaches and restore energy. Due to the combination of several active ingredients These drugs not only eliminate weakness and fever, but also reduce the manifestations of a runny nose, nasal congestion and “ache” in the body. A convenient release form (tablets or powder for preparing a hot drink) and the presence of several flavors (orange, lemon and blackcurrant) will allow you to select a treatment that suits individual preferences to relieve weakness from colds and flu, and reduce fever.

Landscape design project. prices are affordable and transparent.

How to choose a medicine for colds

Do you know how to define the word “confusion”? This is when you stand in front of a shelf of cough and cold medicines at the pharmacy. While all of them are effective against colds (note the labels - "decongestant", "antihistamine"), it is worth mentioning that according to research, none of the drugs have the desired effect on children. Comparative studies in infants and children preschool age showed very little difference when children took combinations of decongestants and antihistamines, salted water or did without them. Thus, improvement was observed in 51% of children in the untreated group, in 67% of those treated, and in 71% of those taking placebo (neutral substance). It was concluded that the majority cold medicines has a placebo effect (indifferent). This means that if you buy a medicine and go through all the difficulties to get your child to take it, the result will quite possibly be good. For the benefit of the cold-drug buyer, let's take a critical look at these medications of questionable effectiveness.

There are many over-the-counter cold medicines that can be easily divided into groups based on their advertised properties: they dry up or thin out secretions and constrict and contract mucus-secreting vessels and glands in the respiratory tract.

Weakness with a cold

When a person gets sick with the flu or a common cold, in addition to the usual symptoms such as a runny nose and fever, constant fatigue and weakness appear. This is explained by the fact that the body spends all its energy on recovery, and there is no strength left for ordinary things. These symptoms, combined with headache and fever, make life unbearable. But the worst thing is that even after an illness, severe fatigue can persist for a long time, and in some cases asthenic syndrome develops.

How does weakness manifest during a cold?

During and after a cold, a person may feel depressed and tired. It normally takes two weeks to restore the body’s defenses and get rid of traces of the past illness. At this time, weakness may be present, which is expressed in two ways:

• physical – a person feels tired, sometimes even after sleep, there is no strength to carry out everyday chores;
• psychological – nervous exhaustion. It can manifest itself in irritability, insomnia, depression, apathy. Later, attention and concentration problems occur.

During a cold, when a person is at home, he can afford proper rest. But when it is necessary to return to usual duties, weakness is especially inconvenient. Indeed, in addition to constant fatigue and the inability to rest, a person is not able to concentrate on work, especially if it requires mental effort. This condition is dangerous because it causes loss of appetite and reduces physical activity, which further aggravates the situation. Vitamin deficiency and depletion of the body may occur. All this is the basis for the development of new pathologies.

Drowsiness. How to deal with it?

Causes

For those who constantly want to sleep, a sleepiness test will be very helpful. It will reveal pathology and make you think about health.

Each question will need to be answered on a four-point scale:

Do you sometimes fall asleep or doze off?

1. While reading in a sitting position,

2. While watching TV,

3. While watching a play in the theater or listening to a lecture,

4. During a journey in road transport lasting 60 minutes or more,

5. After lunch, lying on the sofa,

6. During a conversation in a sitting position,

7. After a hearty meal in silence,

8. While stopped in a traffic jam or at a traffic light as a driver.

From 1 to 9 points: You are healthy.

From 10 to 13 points: moderate drowsiness. A condition that deviates somewhat from the norm. However, it cannot yet be called a pathology. It may be caused by lack of sleep.

From 14 to 19 points: average sleepiness. It is quite possible that it is caused by sleep disorders or some other illness. You should visit a doctor.

From 20 to 24 points: high degree of sleepiness. We can speak with confidence about the presence of any diseases or sleep disorders. You should visit a doctor immediately.

During pregnancy

Quite often, drowsiness along with increased appetite are signs of a recent pregnancy. These signs appear in the first weeks of pregnancy. They are a protective mechanism that protects the body from overwork. Thanks to some lethargy, the nervous system is protected from stress and overload. Most often, after the fourth month, drowsiness will disappear.

When pregnancy occurs, a woman’s body – all systems, without exception, work in stress mode. After all, now we have to work differently than before. This is why the body needs rest so much. Lack of sleep can negatively affect the course of pregnancy and the well-being of both the baby and the mother.

Insomnia with the flu is common. It needs to be treated because lack of sleep will make it even harder for the body to overcome the disease. As a result, complications will arise and it will be necessary long-term treatment. Sleep problems can be short-term or chronic.

Causes of insomnia with flu

Most often, patients experience difficulty falling asleep during influenza and ARVI. the following reasons:

1. No bed rest. If you endure the disease on your feet, the body will constantly be in a state of stress, resulting in unpleasant consequences, including insomnia.
2. Bad feeling. High fever, nasal congestion, sore throat and other symptoms of the disease can cause a person to have trouble falling asleep or wake up frequently at night.
3. Incorrect treatment. If the doctor made an incorrect diagnosis and prescribed medications that are not suitable for the patient, then it will be more difficult for the body to fight the virus. As a result, insomnia will occur, which will be accompanied by fatigue or asthenia.

Another problem with sleep during an acute respiratory viral infection (ARVI) arises due to stress (for example, if a person gets sick on the eve of an important event or if, in parallel with the illness, one has to cope with severe life situations).

What to do for insomnia caused by ARVI

Severe fatigue and insomnia during a cold are a problem that needs to be dealt with. Can be used traditional methods or medicines. You must first consult a doctor who will select treatment based on the causes of insomnia. For example, if it is caused by flu symptoms, then you need drugs that will lower the temperature, relieve a sore throat and relieve nasal congestion.

Treatment of insomnia with folk remedies

There are several ways to deal with sleep disturbances:

1. Follow the regime. You need to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
2. Drink a glass of milk before bed. You can also drink soothing teas. For example, with chamomile, mint or valerian root.
3. Ventilate the room. Fresh air will help you fall asleep faster.
4. Have dinner 3 hours before bedtime. You should not go to bed on a full stomach. For dinner it is better to choose a light dish. For example, cottage cheese, yogurt, salad or porridge.
5. Quitting smoking, coffee and alcohol.
6. Proper nutrition.
7. Warm bath 30 minutes before bedtime. It is worth adding pine needle extract to the water. Can not use this method at elevated temperatures.
8. Avoid TV and computer 2 hours before bedtime. It's better to read a book or listen to music.

It is necessary to prevent asthenia even after recovery.

Drug treatment

The doctor will select the best remedy to cope with insomnia. He may prescribe Melaxen. This drug is not addictive and can be purchased without a prescription. Medicines are also effective plant based, for example Persen and Novopassit. They help cope with anxiety, fatigue and normalize sleep.

If sleep problems are caused by flu symptoms, then you need medications that will relieve discomfort, for example Coldrex or Antigrippin. To reduce the temperature, you can drink Arbidol. Mucaltin or ACC will help fight cough. For nasal congestion, you should use Otrivin or Tizin sprays.

The causative agents of all types of influenza are usually localized in the upper and middle respiratory tract and provoke the development of tracheitis.

Influenza is characterized by severe intoxication because viral agents multiply in large numbers and at record speed. The body needs a lot of strength to stop the disease and transform it into a safe form. Infection with influenza viruses is accompanied by a short-term increase in body temperature up to several degrees. With class A pathogens, the high temperature lasts no more than 5 days, usually one or two days. With class B viruses, chills and fever may last from 5 to 9 days. Parainfluenza viruses cause a slow increase in temperature, the highest levels are achieved by the 3-4th day of the disease and amount to 5 degrees.

Symptoms of intoxication with influenza

At its core, intoxication is ordinary poisoning caused by the formation of toxic substances within the body's systems. Depending on the age of the victim, the severity of the disease and individual characteristics body, intoxication may be more or less pronounced. The best results in supporting the immune system are obtained by using antiviral drugs in the first two days from the moment of infection. This is what allows you to minimize unpleasant symptoms and speed up recovery. Flu intoxication includes symptoms such as:

• muscle fatigue, weakness, aching bones, tremors, joint pain;
• heaviness and pain in the head;
• nausea and vomiting;
• upset stool, diarrhea;
• promotion or demotion blood pressure, dizziness, changes in heart rate;
• exacerbation of liver and kidney diseases;
• loss of strength, apathy, lethargy;
• sweating;
• dehydration of the body;
• sleep disturbance, drowsiness, insomnia.

The influenza virus poses the greatest danger to infants, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.

In newborns, intoxication can lead to coma, renal failure And fatal outcome. During poisoning, there is a large load on the organs that remove toxins from the body, that is, the liver and kidneys. If a newborn has congenital defects of these organs, you should immediately consult a doctor at the onset of influenza. The disease can develop very quickly and cause significant damage within one or two days. Intoxication is not a complication of the disease, but is a direct consequence of the struggle to restore a healthy state of the body.

How to cope with flu intoxication?

An integrated approach should include not only assistance in eliminating viral agents, but also alleviation of symptoms of intoxication. What can be done for the victim?

1. Reducing the temperature if it is above 39 degrees. Most of the unpleasant manifestations of the flu, which have a bad effect on a person’s general well-being, are caused by high fever. It is undesirable to take measures to lower it to 38.5 degrees, because high temperature contributes to the destruction of viruses. After 39 degrees, a person with the flu can take any antipyretic drug based on paracetamol, following the dosage and instructions for use. This drug is safe even for pregnant women. If there is no such medicine in the first aid kit, a cool shower or wrapping with a towel soaked in water will help. cold water. The procedure is unpleasant, but very effective. It is important to avoid hypothermia, apply a cold compress for no more than 15 minutes, and stay in the shower for no more than 10 minutes. A dangerous complication Influenza is pneumonia, and hypothermia can trigger its development. If a child under three years of age has a temperature above 39 degrees, you need to call a therapist at home and consult on treatment measures.
2. Stimulates liver and kidney function. In order for the body’s cleansing system to start working at full strength, it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids. Toxic substances are removed along with the fluid, thereby reducing headaches, aching bones and muscle soreness. Fruit drinks or herbal infusions have a better effect than plain water, because they contain substances that trigger the liver. An additional benefit is the prevention of dehydration. If it is not possible to use homemade fruit juice, you can take plain water with lemon juice. Good effect gives hot green or black tea, it has an antiseptic effect, warms the throat, helps to liquefy and release mucus from the upper respiratory tract. If a person does not have allergies, you can add honey instead of sugar.
3. Headache relief. Such a simple remedy as an ice compress on the head significantly improves the patient’s well-being. For a compress, it is best to use a handkerchief moistened ice water. Neck massage helps. To do this, place the thumbs of both hands at the base of the skull and in a circular motion stretch your neck muscles. This effect stimulates blood supply to the brain, relieves vascular spasm, and helps cope with heaviness and pain in the head. If the victim has a chronic disease such as osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, assistance should be provided with caution. During the massage, the head should rest its forehead on the bed so that the position is stable.
4. Light diet. Against the background of decreased appetite and nausea, you should choose food for the victim that he can accept. The body still needs nutrients, and fasting has a negative impact on the liver. The ideal option would be light chicken broth with noodles, mashed or boiled vegetables, cabbage salad, dietary turkey or rabbit meat. You should eat as much as you want, but not eating at all is undesirable. If possible, you can consume dairy products, kefir, real live yogurt, and warm milk. Dairy products help cleanse the respiratory tract, thanks to which the bronchi and trachea will return to normal faster.

Removal of intoxication directly depends on the speed of recovery. If the flu proceeds without complications, then acute poisoning should stop within the first three to four days.

Consequences of intoxication

After the flu, when the main source of infection has been eliminated and most of the viral infection has been eliminated, weakness is possible, low temperature body temperature up to 34 degrees, poor concentration and drowsiness. Strength should be restored when easy help and a nutritious diet, maintain bed rest, and receive positive emotions. People with chronic diseases the liver and kidneys need to remain vigilant so as not to miss a relapse.

Complications after the flu

Prolonged intoxication indicates that obstacles have arisen on the path to recovery. Some strains of influenza viruses are resistant to standard antiviral drugs, can mutate and exhibit incredible survivability. Getting into individual organs and systems, they cause local inflammatory processes that have their own symptoms. Weakened immunity after the flu often causes bacterial and fungal infections to join the underlying disease. If an adult has a temperature above 38.5 degrees for more than five days, you need to consult a therapist. For a child under three years of age, treatment should be arranged immediately. Infectious-toxic shock is a dangerous condition that can lead to acute heart failure, cause cerebral edema, blood clots, pulmonary edema and respiratory failure. Hypertoxic influenza causes death in newborns within the first day of infection.

Why does insomnia occur with a cold?

One of the most unpleasant companions of a cold is insomnia. Insomnia during a cold is situational, that is, temporary, due to several factors that will be discussed below.

Description

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that consists of:

• or difficulty falling asleep, that is, a person cannot fall asleep for at least an hour;
• or frequent awakenings at night, accompanied by difficulty falling back asleep;
• or in a very early rise, inadequate sleep.

All of the above symptoms may be present.

There are 3 types of insomnia:

1. Intermittent (situational) insomnia occurs periodically, when certain situations arise, and does not last long. The cause of such insomnia may be moving, changing jobs, any illness, or taking certain medications. To treat this type of insomnia, it is enough to eliminate the factor that caused it, but “sleep hygiene” should be carried out.
2. Short-term insomnia. Appears as a result of more significant stress and mental trauma. The duration of short-term insomnia varies from 1 night to several weeks.
3. Chronic insomnia lasts at least 3 nights a week for a month or more. Its causes can be severe physical and mental illness, taking certain medications, alcoholism and drug addiction. With chronic insomnia, a so-called sleep neurosis can form. If a person has developed sleep neurosis, a kind of vicious circle is formed: when trying to fall asleep, the person begins to experience anxiety, believing that he will not be able to fall asleep, as a result of which he does not succeed. Thus, for successful treatment it is necessary to break this chain.

Often intermittent and chronic insomnia occurs with epilepsy, migraine, and osteochondrosis. The type of insomnia depends on the severity of the disease.

Causes

A cold is characterized by symptoms such as cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, headache, sometimes very severe. All this interferes with normal sleep. Besides, great importance have neurological aspects.

Illness is always stressful.

During stress, adrenal hormones enter the bloodstream: adrenaline (stress hormone) and norepinephrine. An increase in the levels of these hormones in the blood leads to an increase in glycemia, blood pressure and heart rate. In turn, the above symptoms lead to sleep disturbances. A cold is characterized by a situational type of insomnia. Thus, in order to get rid of insomnia due to a cold, it is enough to treat the underlying disease and follow a number of recommendations for correcting sleep problems.

From the moment the first symptoms of a cold appear, the patient must be provided with at least a home regimen, good nutrition with sufficient vitamin content. It is necessary to frequently ventilate the room in which the patient is located, and carry out wet cleaning every day in order to avoid the accumulation of pathogenic microorganisms. It is important to avoid drafts.

If the body temperature remains normal, short-term hot foot baths will have a beneficial effect. After the bath, lubricate the temples and bridge of the nose with warming ointment. During this period, teas that stimulate sweating, such as raspberry tea, will be useful. They can prevent fever from rising.

It is necessary to drink plenty of fluids, as the body temperature is high, heavy sweating, copious nasal discharge leads to dehydration. Preference should be given to freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, fruit drinks, herbal tea with lemon, as these drinks are rich in vitamin C.

Gargling and nasal rinsing will have a good positive effect. saline solution or soda solution. You can use both ready-made solutions and those made at home. It is useful to use infusions or decoctions of chamomile and sage. To prepare the infusion 1 tbsp. l. pour 500 ml of boiling water over the herbs and let stand for half an hour. Rinsing is carried out at least 4 times a day.

To facilitate nasal breathing, vasoconstrictor drugs are used, which are available in the form of drops for instillation into the nasal passages and in the form of tablets. Tablets are preferable if there are contraindications for vasoconstrictor drops, which includes atrophic rhinitis. There are drops with short, medium and prolonged effects; this should be taken into account when determining the frequency of administration of the drug. There is also combination drugs, which have vasoconstrictor, mucolytic and antihistamine effects.

It should be remembered that drops with a vasoconstrictor effect cannot be used for more than 5-7 days, as this can lead to atrophy of the nasal mucosa and increase inflammation in the nasal cavity.

If there are indications for longer-term use of drops, preference is given to preparations containing essential oils.

Inhalations are effective for treating cough, as well as medicines. Inhalations with juniper, clove, and eucalyptus oils help well.

Antibiotics for colds are contraindicated, since they do not affect either the etiological or the pathogenetic link ongoing process.

Treatment

As mentioned above, in order to improve sleep, you need to practice “sleep hygiene”:

1. You need to go to bed and wake up at the same time. It is necessary to go to bed a few minutes before bedtime in order to be able to calm down. You should also avoid napping during the day.
2. The last meal should be more than 2 hours before going to bed. 3-4 hours before bedtime, you should not consume foods with stimulating effects: energy drinks, tea, coffee, chocolate, cola, cocoa. Before going to bed, it is good to drink a few sips of mineral water.
3. Before going to bed, be sure to ventilate the room.
4. A hot shower or bath taken before bed will have a positive effect.
5. Don't read or watch TV before bed.
6. It is necessary that the bed matches the person’s height and has medium hardness.
7. You should sleep in silence, with the curtains closed.
8. If negative thoughts are preventing you from falling asleep, you can take a sedative.
9. If possible, you should avoid taking medications that may interfere with sleep.
10. You can use relaxation techniques:
11. you should slow down your breathing and imagine the movement of air through the respiratory tract; you need to breathe while inflating your stomach;
12. You can try counting sheep from 1 to 1000 and back with your eyes closed.

Prevention

As you know, any disease is easier to prevent than to treat. Therefore, prevention is of particular importance. Here simple rules that will help you stay healthy:

1. Consume more fresh vegetables, fruits, salads. Freshly squeezed juices will be of great benefit.
2. Try to get more rest. Don't unnecessarily stress your nervous system. Take breaks while working. If possible, close your eyes and sit in silence without thinking about work.
3. Much attention should be paid to sleep. According to statistics, people who adhere to a normal daily routine and devote enough time to sleep get sick much less often.
4. Get outdoors more often. Walking and playing sports will tune your body to normal rhythm work and will help prevent colds.
5. If you have enough time and patience, don't forget about morning exercises. A few exercises at the beginning of the day will increase your tone, help you wake up and make your day brighter and more fulfilling.

Remember that one of the most effective ways to prevent colds is hardening. It helps prepare the body to resist infections and increase its overall defense.

Insomnia with flu

Insomnia with influenza can occur not only at the time of the disease itself, but also last up to three weeks after the human body has fully recovered. This pathological condition can manifest itself in several forms.

The patient may have difficulty falling asleep every day for at least an hour, or may experience frequent awakenings at night with the inability to fall back to sleep. In addition, there are patients with chronic sleep deprivation due to early awakening.

Causes of insomnia with flu

Important! Insomnia is a distinguishing feature of the flu from a cold or acute respiratory viral infection. In the first case, the person does not experience sleep disturbances, but with ARVI, the inability to fall asleep for a long time or frequent awakenings can only be associated with high temperature. Prolonged insomnia, which lasts more than three nights, can be a signal that the flu has overtaken a person.

The state of insomnia further aggravates the overall picture of the course of the disease, since it is during a night's rest that the body gains strength and is able to fight the harmful inhabitants of its body.

A cold or flu, just like any other illness, is considered a great stress for the body. In case of influenza-like conditions in humans, which can last up to a month or more with improper treatment or when suffering from illness on the legs, three types of insomnia can develop:

1. Situational or incoming, which appears from time to time and regardless of the time of day. Most often, it cannot be long-lasting, but is sensitive to the occurrence various kinds situations. With this type of illness, it is worth improving your sleep hygiene, as well as identifying the factors that provoked its occurrence. They can even be drugs that are prescribed to fight influenza viruses. In this case, it is necessary to inform the doctor about the effect of the medicine on the quality of sleep, since most often you can choose an analogue of any medicine.
2. In most cases, when a person gets the flu, a short-term type of insomnia is observed. Its duration can vary from several nights to one month. It occurs against the backdrop of the body’s fight against the viruses that caused the disease. A person may be prevented from falling asleep by multiple factors and symptoms of the disease, such as headache, very high body temperature, persistent cough, painful sensations, aches throughout the body, as well as severe nasal congestion.
3. If the disease is severe or its treatment is incompetent, a person may develop the most complex form of insomnia, which is called chronic. Its main manifestations are the inability to fall asleep for a long time, at least three times a week for one month or more. Insomnia may also hide a more serious disease - sleep neurosis. In this case, a person experiences a kind of vicious circle; while falling asleep, the patient begins to experience strong anxiety about the upcoming night without sleep, as a result of which he is unable to rest safely.

In addition to the usual flu symptoms, which disturb a person’s normal sleep, other irritants appear. Neurological aspects play a major role, since during the disease, due to the stress being tested, great amount adrenal hormones, namely adrenaline and norepinephrine. Their sharp increase in the blood leads to an increase in blood pressure, the appearance of glycemia, as well as changes in the frequency of contraction of the heart muscle.

Treatment of insomnia due to influenza

In order to avoid the development of prolonged insomnia during influenza, you must listen to the advice of doctors and adhere to the following recommendations. Even after complete visible recovery, the body still remains weakened, so within a month it is necessary to prevent the onset of insomnia and review your sleep hygiene.

At the first appearance of flu symptoms, a sick person should refuse work, go on sick leave and adhere to full bed rest. In addition, it is worth reviewing your daily diet, eliminating all harmful foods from it and adding more balanced foods. Experts recommend increasing the dose of vitamins consumed along with food, as well as drinking more water.

To avoid the occurrence of sleep disturbances, it is necessary to fully ventilate the room where the patient constantly stays during the day and sleeps several times a day, and especially before bedtime. This will avoid the accumulation of harmful pathogenic microorganisms that will slow down the human recovery process. In addition to ventilation, you must add daily wet cleaning of the house, and try to avoid being in drafts so as not to aggravate your health condition.

If a person is already recovering or the body temperature remains within normal limits, then you can make it a rule to use short-term foot baths an hour before expected sleep. It is best to consult with your doctor, who can authorize such a procedure.

After taking a bath, it is recommended to keep your feet warm and lubricate the bridge of your nose and temples with a medicinal warming ointment. When the temperature rises, drinking tea will be useful as it will stimulate sweating. The best decoctions are made from raspberries, honey and lemon.

To prevent the occurrence of insomnia after recovery, it is necessary to review sleep hygiene. The body is still very weakened and vulnerable to influence external factors. There are several tips to help improve your daily sleep:

• try to stick to the same time every day, both for waking up and for falling asleep. It is recommended to prepare for bed 15 minutes in advance in order to have time to calm down and prepare the body for the upcoming rest;
• The last meal of food must be taken at least two hours before the planned bedtime. Three hours before rest, you should stop drinking alcoholic beverages, smoking, coffee, chocolate and energy drinks. Doctors recommend drinking about 100 milliliters of still mineral water before resting;
• A warm shower or bath, taken half an hour before bedtime, will have a positive effect on the speed of falling asleep;
• if negative thoughts are an obstacle to rest, then you can take sedatives. It is best if they are made from natural plant ingredients.

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How to deal with fatigue after flu and ARVI

Usually we consider influenza and acute respiratory viral infections to be the most common diseases that go away without any treatment and which, therefore, can be carried on your feet.

Unfortunately, any viral infection, even if it is the most banal seasonal flu, it is a serious stress for the body, which undermines the body’s defenses and causes an exacerbation of chronic diseases. Therefore, after influenza and ARVI, complications are quite common, the most common of which is increased fatigue and irritability for a long time. Doctors call this condition post-viral asthenia syndrome (PAS).

Where does fatigue come from after the flu and ARVI?

In almost half of people who have had influenza and ARVI, for two weeks or more after disappearance clinical symptoms influenza and ARVI (normalization of temperature, cessation of cough, etc.) symptoms such as constant fatigue, increased fatigue are observed, after several hours of work a person feels completely “broken”. Sleep disturbance (drowsiness during the day and insomnia at night), pain in the heart area, slight hypertension or vice versa – hypotension, increased irritability.

This typical characteristics SPA. A similar condition can develop after any flu and ARVI, but especially severe and prolonged fatigue is observed after the so-called parainfluenza - ARVI, similar to influenza, but more sluggish (the temperature rarely rises above 38 C and there is no severe intoxication) and for a longer period of time.

This condition, if left untreated, can lead to severe unpleasant consequences– such as the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system and chronic fatigue syndrome.

How to deal with fatigue after flu and ARVI?

First of all, do not try to go to work the very next day after your temperature returns to normal. Describe your condition to the doctor and ask to extend your sick leave for a few days.

Also, during illness, you should not try to accumulate unresolved issues at work in order to “plunge into them headlong” after recovery. It’s better to honestly tell your boss about your condition, explain that fatigue and reluctance to work intensively is not due to your laziness, but to an objective condition, and ask to shift part of your area of ​​responsibility to other employees for a couple of weeks. Motivate this by saying that the company will receive much more great benefit, if you rest for a few weeks and then work at full capacity, than trying to decide important questions in a state of constant fatigue, when everything falls out of hand.

It is reliably known, although the mechanisms of this phenomenon are not clear, that the duration and severity of SPA depend on the amount of information that has to be processed.

Therefore, try to reduce information flows as much as possible - stop unnecessary surfing the Internet and watching TV. Free time It’s better to devote yourself to walks in the fresh air and the lobby.

Physical activity and fatigue after influenza and ARVI

Physical activity is very helpful in reducing fatigue after the flu and ARVI. The only caveat is that if you feel pain in the heart area or shortness of breath with light exertion, consult a cardiologist to make sure that the flu and ARVI did not cause cardiac complications.

If your heart is okay, you can start physical exercise from morning exercises, walks in the park, visiting the pool, jogging, dancing classes. Physical exercise in the fresh air is especially useful for fatigue after the flu and ARVI.

Medicines and fatigue after influenza and ARVI.

Herbal restoratives such as Eleutherococcus extract (Extractum Eleutherococci), lemongrass tincture (Tinctura fructuum Schizandrae) or ginseng (Tinctura Ginseng) also help fight fatigue after the flu and ARVI.

However, it is worth remembering that these drugs cause an increase in blood pressure and are therefore indicated mainly for hypotensive patients.

If fatigue after influenza and ARVI is associated with increased blood pressure, better reception Avoid such drugs. In this case, and also if fatigue is combined with increased irritability, on the contrary, you should take sedatives of herbal or combined composition, for example, Persen, Nervoflux, Novo-Passit, tincture of valerian, motherwort, passionflower extract.

Also, for fatigue after the flu and ARVI, taking multivitamin preparations and products containing magnesium asparkam or Magne B6 is recommended.

In what cases should you consult a doctor if you are tired after the flu and ARVI?

Usually, a few weeks are enough to overcome fatigue after the flu and ARVI. However, in some cases, SPA can cause complications that require special treatment.

First of all, you need to see a doctor if you experience frequent pain in the heart area, especially pain in the sternum during physical activity, which quickly goes away at rest.

Mental complications during SPA also require special treatment. So, you need to contact a neurologist if you have frequent headaches, insomnia, and if increased irritability causes problems in communicating with people.

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The less time we spend sleeping, the more likely we are to catch a cold.

Sleep is sometimes called the cure-all, and there is truth to it - lack of sleep weakens our protective systems, so that viruses and bacteria have a good chance to penetrate the body and gain a foothold in it. However, until now the beneficial, “health” properties of sleep were based on subjective evidence, when a person himself assessed his condition depending on the “dose of sleep” and reported this to doctors. Such surveys are certainly important, but they are definitely not sufficient for rigorous scientific conclusions.

Arch Preizer ( Aric Prather) from the University of California at San Francisco, together with colleagues from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, were able to obtain more objective evidence that sleep helps to resist, if not all diseases, then at least the common cold. Over the course of a week, the researchers collected sleep data from more than one and a half hundred people who were given a special wrist device that recorded body movements during sleep; In addition, the experiment participants also recorded the time they went to bed and the time they woke up.

Participants were then given a nasal spray containing the cold-causing rhinovirus and checked into a hotel for five days. Before a person injected a virus solution into his nose, a blood test was taken from him to determine the level of antibodies already present to the infection - obviously, if their level was initially high enough (that is, the immune system remembered what to do with a cold), then the disease subsided quickly. Those whose immune system was already ready to face a cold had to be excluded from the study: even if they got sick, they would recover too quickly, and sleep would hardly play any significant role in resisting the virus.

Whether infection occurred or not was monitored by external symptoms(runny nose, etc.) and with the help special tests. For example, a special dye was dropped into the patient’s nose and the time it took for it to reach the throat was measured; if it took about 35 minutes, then Airways were noticeably inflamed and swollen, and the disease was therefore on the rise. At the same time, samples of the nasal mucosa were taken, in which the concentration of the virus and antibodies against it was measured.

The likelihood of catching a cold was compared to how long a person sleeps. The quality of sleep was also taken into account here: if the sleep was restless, then the total sleep time was less than with restful sleep, even if both experimental subjects went to bed and got up at the same time. It turned out that if you sleep less than 5 hours at night or 5-6 hours, then the likelihood of getting a serious cold will be 4.5 and 4.2 times higher, respectively, than if you sleep 6-7 hours or more. An article with the results of the work was published in the journal Sleep .

As we said above, sleep obviously helps the immune system in some way. It can be assumed that sleep helps fight other infections, not just the cold virus, but more research will be needed to be sure of this.