Coming down with a cold, virus, or the flu is never fun. Sometimes, you can find relief for a sore throat without dashing to your doctor. Several remedies can help, including gargling with salt water, a steam shower, or drinking tea with honey. But when full-body aches set in, you might quickly find yourself out of commission. Turn to Panado for trusted pain and fever relief.
What Causes Body Aches When You’re Sick?
When your body is fighting a virus, your immune system goes into overdrive, sending antibodies to attack the virus, preventing it from spreading further. The pain you feel in your muscles and joints during a viral infection like the flu is actually a result of your body’s immune response, not the virus itself. As these antibodies bond with the virus, your body produces proteins to kill it. This response can lead to muscle inflammation and weakness (myositis), joint and muscle pain (myalgia), and joint pain (arthralgia). Adding to this, your white blood cells release cytokines – small proteins used for cell signalling – which cause inflammation in your muscles and joints. In addition to body aches, you might experience other symptoms such as fever, weakness, fatigue, shivering or changes in body temperature and cold and flu-like symptoms.
Finding Relief at Home
While addressing the underlying cause of pain, fever, and inflammation is crucial, here are some ways to help your recovery:
Stay Hydrated: Illnesses can cause dehydration through sweating, vomiting, or diarrhoea. Drink plenty of water, broth, tea, or electrolyte drinks to help stay hydrated. Soup is also beneficial, especially if solid foods are hard to consume.
Apply Heat: Heat helps relax tense muscles and alleviate body aches. If you don’t have a high fever, a warm bath or shower can be soothing.
Rest: Adequate sleep is essential for immune function and recovery. Although other symptoms may disrupt sleep, prioritise rest to help your muscles relax and speed up healing.
Regulate Body Temperature: Body aches often accompany fever, causing muscle tension. To manage your temperature, take a cool bath, and opt for light bedding and use fever-reducing medication, such as Panado®.
When to See Your Doctor About Full-Body Aches
Pain, fever, and inflammation from a viral illness usually clear up in a few days with some home care. However, if your aches haven’t improved after three to five days, it’s a good idea to check in with your doctor.
How Panado® Can Help
Whether you’re fighting a cold, virus, or the flu, some general home care tips may help alleviate the symptoms. These include staying hydrated, getting plenty of rest, and using Panado® to help reduce fever and alleviate pain.
The range includes Panado® Capsules, Panado® Tablets and Panado® Effervescent Tablets which are ideal for those that struggle with taking capsules or tablets.
Panado® products are available from Baby City, Pick n Pay, Checkers including Hypers, Shoprite, Clicks, Dis-Chem and Independent Pharmacies. For more information, visit https://panado.co.za/ and join the conversations on Facebook. To view the references, visit the website: https://panado.co.za/references/.
