What to do if you get sick with Penn State Flu | Blog

We're at the time of year where a lot of Penn State students might be coughing, sneezing and blowing their noses every 30 seconds.

The weird mystery is that no one knows what this sickness is. I had this exact same illness last week, and when I went to University Health Services, I was tested for the coronavirus, strep throat and the flu. All of the results were negative.

I was told by the doctor that there's a particularly strong cold virus that gets spread easily around campus, and everyone can experience it differently. My symptoms were body aches for two days followed by a lot of congestion in my nose and chest that wouldn't come out.

At Penn State, this is referred to as the "PSFlu." It's a sickness that spreads quickly and takes forever to run its course. As much as it sucks, you have to take it day by day with basic over-the-counter medicine.

So, I'm here to give you some tips on how to get through this nasty cold virus since I'm now finally over it.

I'm in no way a medical professional, so all of the advice is based on my experience with the sickness. Please consult a doctor if your symptoms don't improve or worsen.

Medicine

First off, don't just buy a whole bunch of medicine from the cold and flu section and just hope something works. Read the labels and stick to one or two items.

For my stuffy nose, DayQuil and Alka-Seltzer weren't working even after taking them for four days, so I asked for Sudafed to help drain everything, and it worked well.

After everything had drained, it sadly went all into my chest and got stuck. It was painful, and I needed even more relief, so I went to the doctor.

I was previously trying to take regular Mucinex to try to help the chest congestion, but the doctor told me to take Mucinex D instead — let me tell you, this stuff was the bomb.

After two days of taking this, I felt so much better. Everything was coming up much better, and I finally started to feel back to normal after six days of nasty cold symptoms.

Food

I didn't have much of an appetite when I was sick, but I have food item recommendations to help keep your energy up.

I didn't want to overload my stomach and cause more problems, so I ate a lot of crackers and applesauce to keep it light.

Soup from the dining hall helped a lot, too. I ate a lot of chicken noodle and Italian wedding soup. If you don't like soup, force yourself to eat it because it does help make you feel better.

Make sure to eat some fruit and vegetables to get the nutrients that your body needs. Your immune system will thank you.

Vitamins

If you're not taking a multivitamin, you should be. Your body needs extra vitamins when it's sick.

I take the Nature Made vitamins because they give me everything I need. Here's a huge tip — taking elderberry vitamins provides immune support and vitamin C, and they're a game changer for me.

The biggest takeaway out of all of this is to give your body nutrients. Treat your body kindly because it already does a lot for you every day.

Exercise

Don't do a full workout at the gym. Just don't.

However, staying in your bed all day isn't the answer.

Try to at least take a walk for five minutes outside in the fresh air to help clear your airways. It'll help not make you feel so sluggish and tired, too.

Five to 10 minutes — that's all I'm telling you to do. As much as the cold air sucks, it weirdly feels good when you're sick because the fresh air feels better than the stuffy air in your room (at least in my opinion).

Rest

This is obviously a given. Try to take naps, lay in your bed to do your homework and get lots of sleep.

If you're being kept up by your cough or runny nose, take some NyQuil. I swear it gives you the best sleep of your life when you're sick.

If none of my suggestions work, call a doctor's office to schedule an appointment to get the treatment you need. This cold virus isn't fun, so I really feel for you. I hope you feel better soon!

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