ARE YOU TOO SICK TO GO OUT?

ARE YOU TOO SICK TO GO OUT?

Some women have a running grudge match with disease. They’re rougher than any cold, and they don’t care how sick they have to get to prove it. But staying home, for even one day at the start of an illness, can often help
You recover faster, says Dr Mark A Roberts, an occupational medicine specialist at Exponent, a scientific consulting firm in Chicago. Any of the following symptoms is a signal that your body needs to rest or that you could be a menace to others if you choose to go out:
• Fever above 102œF
• a 101Å“F fever that’s lasted more than three days, or one that shoots up over 100Å“F after the third day
• Diarrhoea or vomiting
• Cough that won’t stop
• Severe sore throat
• Persistent, unexplained rash
Do you need to see a doctor?
It would be smart at least to call, says Dr Roberts. If all you have is a bad cold or an upset stomach and no chronic conditions, you may not need to go to the doctor’s office. But a nasty or lone-lasting rash should be looked at, and if you have a bad sore throat, you may just need a test for strep throat. Suspect you have the flu? Call immediately- your doctor may prescribe one of the anti-viral “wonder drugs”, which can get you back on your feet faster. But these must be starred within 48 hours of the first symptom.