My least favorite thing in the entire world is being sick. I hate it. I hate the headaches, nausea, and body aches that come with being sick. I laid in bed all day yesterday, not sleeping, but really just laying there, miserable. The question is what do you do when you’re sick and you don’t want to take medicine. Skinny Bitch says your body has the ability to fight sickness on its own, if you give it the chance. Symptoms are the body’s way to display of sickness, showing that the body is trying to get rid of an illness. Taking medicines to curb the symptoms not only affects the body’s built in system, but also has multiple side effects that can cause additional harm to the body.
A fever is the body’s attempt to raise the body temperature in response to an infection. One purpose of a fever is to raise the body’s temperature enough to kill off certain bacteria and viruses sensitive to temperature changes. Since the fever is actually helping rid the body of infection, why would you take medicine to lower your fever and keep it from doing its job? The opposing argument is that it makes you feel better, and some people die of fever vs. illness.
The same argument is made for runny noses and congestion. The body usually develops a runny nose when it is trying to rid itself of cold or flu viruses or irritants and allergens from the body. Taking medicines such as Afrin to dry out and clear the nasal cavities forces the body to harbor the issues the body was trying to expel in the first place. It also has awful side effects and has resulted in addiction for many users.
The end game is getting better, the question is how do I get there?
