Why not wash when you are ill? Doctor's recommendations

People often ask why you can not wash when you're sick. Let's see how water procedures work on our body, when you can and should wash, and when you have to refuse to take a bath.

general information

There is an opinion that at a time when the body is attacked by viruses, water procedures weaken the immune system. Is this true and why you can not wash when you are ill? There are some rules and contraindications to taking a bath during an illness. Doctors recommend to treat the procedure responsibly, then it will not only not hurt, but also improve your health.

The fact is that a warm bath usually has a beneficial effect on the body. In such health-improving baths add sea salt, various medicinal herbs and essential oils. Warm water can relieve fatigue, pain in the muscles. It cleanses the pores and refreshes.

Then why not wash when you are ill? With colds and flu, many try to avoid water procedures until full recovery, as they fear deterioration. Is it justified? Let's look at everything in order.

Opinion of physicians

Many doctors are surprised when they hear this myth, and can not understand why you can not wash when you are sick with a cold or flu. Moreover, modern specialists say that it is absolutely necessary to wash during illness. However, for water procedures there are contra-indications and recommendations, which we will discuss below.

Colds can last for weeks, and to avoid taking a bath in this case is simply inexcusable. The fact is that during illness a person often sweats profusely, takes sweat fluids. Sweat can clog pores, and this prevents the skin from breathing normally.

Therefore, taking a bath during illness is necessary, it is beneficial. However, doctors do not recommend washing in hot water. However, too hot baths are not advised to take even healthy people. If the patient feels sticky, dirty, you can take a shower. Bathing in hot water is prohibited only if the person has a high fever.

Rules for the reception of water procedures during illness

As mentioned above, you can take a shower or a bath during illness. But do not forget that the body is actively fighting viruses and bacteria. But some patients still note a slight deterioration in well-being after washing. To ensure that the hygienic procedure does not delay the recovery, you must follow certain rules.

Here is a list of recommendations that must be followed during illness:

1. You should not take a bath at all unless you took alcohol shortly before. Quite often colds people drink warm alcoholic drinks, for example grog or mulled wine. They really help keep warm and sweat, but alcohol is not the best way out during illness. From such a "treatment" you need to opt out of the public funds and medicines from the pharmacy. The liver is heavily loaded during the illness, and it does not need extra work. If you still decide to drink a glass of hot mulled wine, then do not drink it before or during the bath.

2. Do not forget that at a temperature you can not wash, especially in hot water. During the hot bath, the heat will increase even more, which will exacerbate the disease. The water temperature during bathing should be within 34-37 degrees.

3. Many people care about how much you can not wash while sick. However, people rarely think about the time limit for adopting water procedures. This is due to the high humidity in the bathroom. Normally, the humidity in the room should be kept at 40-60%. Lower indicators (and this often happens during the heating season) provoke the development of the common cold.

High humidity also negatively affects the patient's condition. It helps to increase the amount of mucus in the nasopharynx and throat, which means that cough and runny nose become aggravated and cause inconvenience to the patient. Therefore, stay time in the bathroom should be limited. To reduce humidity, you can slightly open the door.

4. Take a bath during illness, preferably in the evening. After water procedures you need to wipe yourself thoroughly with a towel, put on warm pajamas, socks and go to bed. To prevent hypothermia, you can drink a hot drink, such as herbal tea with honey.

Baths with essential oils

The bath can have a healthy effect on the body and fight the common cold. You can buy essential oils that have an antiviral effect. These are oils of bergamot, tea tree, manuka, ravensari, eucalyptus, lavender. They increase immunity and help to combat cold at an early stage.

Baths with medicinal herbs

A herbal bath with decoctions of chamomile, mint, sage, wormwood or birch leaves will help ease the condition of the patient. Steam, emanating from water, will serve as an inhalation. A steep broth is added to water at a temperature of 30 degrees. Gradually, the temperature is raised to 37 degrees. Relaxation brings foot and steam baths.

Who is contraindicated in baths

There are cases when the bath should be abandoned. Do not take it with oils and herbs that you are allergic to. An obstacle to taking baths is the presence of such chronic diseases as circulatory disorders in the brain, varicose veins, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension. This procedure is prohibited if the patient has a fever or a poor state of health.

Bathing with chicken pox

Some believe that taking a bath while chicken pox helps to cope with itching. At the same time, there is an opinion that with chicken pox it is impossible to wash. What is the truth of it? Most of the townsfolk believe that you can wash after chickenpox only when the last crust falls off.

But from the doctors can hear a different opinion. Doctors are convinced that warm water relieves itching, which can greatly torment the patient. But as with a cold, with chicken pox, you can start to bathe only after the temperature drops. You can take a bath or shower, according to the patient's choice.

In the water it is useful to add a decoction of queue, chamomile or marigold. They will disinfect the skin and will promote the speedy healing and drying of crusts. But soap and a sponge to use is forbidden, as a skin and without that is irritated.

You do not need to take a bath for long, but you can do it several times a day. You can not rub yourself with a towel, otherwise you can rip off the blisters. It is better to pat dry slightly or let it dry naturally.

Do not beware of water procedures during a cold, flu, chicken pox. So that they do not hurt, you should follow some rules. A good bath will only alleviate the symptoms of the disease and will facilitate a speedy recovery.