How to ease post holiday ailments

Even if it is different this year, the Holiday season still can be tough on the body. What if you could kick off the New Year in good health after your celebrations at home and your series of video call dinners?

First, restore balance

The body is a complex and extraordinary machine that instinctively adapts to a multitude of situations. Sometimes, we unintentionally give our body a hard time by overindulging in the good things in life.

If you are generally healthy, there's no need to worry about your body's ability to recover after holiday excesses. However, you can lend your body a hand by helping it to restore its balance.

Here are a few tips to achieve this goal:

Adopting a healthy lifestyle will help you to maintain your health. However, this doesn't mean that you will never be indisposed by various ailments after the holidays. Here is some information on the subject.

Digestive problems

Like many people, you feasted at home and now your digestive tract is a little off balance.

Nausea, stomach ache, acid reflux, diarrheabloating or flatulence—these are all symptoms, usually temporary, that can be a harsh reminder of misdeeds. Although time will probably make things better, you can get relief by using various over-the-counter medications.

To help your digestion, here are a few tips:

  • Consume alcohol with moderation
  • Eat smaller portions, more often.
  • Reduce your consumption of drinks and foods that are irritating to the digestive tract: coffee, chocolate, tomatoes, citrus juice, spices, etc.
  • Avoid fatty and sugary foods. Choose healthy foods such as fruit, vegetables and fibre-rich foods.
  • Refrain from smoking.

Infections

Winter is conducive to the spread of germs and can therefore cause difficulties for the immune system. This is why many people start the year with an infection—and its unpleasantness.

Coldflu, and gastroenteritis are typical examples of viral infections that strike in January. COVID-19 has been added to the list of infections to be avoided. Bronchitis, sinusitis and pneumonia are respiratory infections often caused by bacteria. If you are fortunate enough to be unaffected at this time, you can still rely on well-known health measures (e.g. handwashing, physical distancing and reduced contact) to keep these microbes at bay.

If you have an infection causing symptoms such as fever, nasal congestion, runny nose, coughing, sore throat, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, your pharmacist can recommend ways to relieve them. He/she can also help you to assess the situation and decide if a doctor's visit is necessary.

Headaches and other types of pain

Dietary excesses, too much alcohol, and a lack of sleep are all predisposing factors associated with headaches. Moreover, if you have spent your Holiday break skiing, skating or playing outside with your children, you may also feel muscle or joint pain. It can be difficult to kick off the new year when you are experiencing pain.

Acetaminophen is generally recognized as a preferred treatment to ease pain. The use of other over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen or naproxen, can also be considered. You should always speak to your pharmacist before taking an analgesic, as is the case for all over-the-counter medication.

Diets and detoxifying "miracle" cures

After the holidays, advertising appears almost everywhere to praise the merits of diets and products intended to lose weight, to improve vitality or to "detoxify" the body. These supposed miracle solutions very rarely live up to their promises!

Therefore, some products are sold claiming to have the ability to get rid of "toxins" or "waste" supposedly accumulated due to Holiday (or, for this year, lockdown) excesses. In reality, your body is quite capable of getting rid of surpluses without any help. In addition to being unnecessary and costly, these types of products can sometimes present certain risks. Always ask the advice of a healthcare professional before opting for such methods.

At the start of this new year, remember that pharmacists are available to help and to offer advice.

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How to ease post holiday ailments

Even if it is different this year, the Holiday season still can be tough on the body. What if you could kick off the New Year in good health after your celebrations at home and your series of video call dinners?
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