Whether you're sick or not, you want to stay hydrated. But if you're vomiting, have diarrhoea, or are sweating a lot, it's easier to become dehydrated. And that will just make you feel evenworse - and make it harder for your body to fight off whatever sickness you're dealing with. Butis there anything in particular you can drink to feel better?
When it comes to staying hydrated while sick, water is your best option - and should be yourfirst choice. It's boring, I know, but water will keep your sore throat and airways moist, theMayo Clinic explains. That will reduce the pain in your throat and make it easier to cough upany mucus or blow out any snot.
But, depending on your symptoms, other drinks may also help you feel a bit better. Forinstance, hot water or tea with lemon and honey can help soothe a sore throat and cough. Asoup or broth will also do the trick. For a serious throat infection (e.g. strep), you might want todo a saltwater gargle, too, which helps ease inflamed throat tissue.
If it's your stomach that's bothering you, you'll want to make sure you're drinking things thatare easily digested and, if possible, contain some salt. Your body needs electrolytes (includingsalt) to absorb water. And that's usually not a huge problem because you can get those fromfood. But, if you've been dealing with an upset stomach, you probably haven't been eating thatmuch. So taking in those electrolytes without too much diarrhoea-inducing sugar is a greatidea. That's why we'd suggest opting for coconut water or a couple of saltines (along with plainwater, of course) rather than a sports drink.
However, you should try to stay away from caffeine, sodas (including ginger ale), and alcoholas much as possible. All of those can irritate your already annoyed digestive system. Also, despite internet rumours, eating and drinking dairy foods doesn't actually increase your body'smucus production. But it might make your mucus feel thicker, which means you probably don'twant to be drinking milk when you have a cold, anyway. Other than that, stick with water - andyour doc's orders - and you'll be well on your way to feeling better.
