There is so much talk in the news about COVID19 and the numbers, curves, statistics. If you are like me, I was living in constant fear and anxiety, but then I started to do research on what I should do to improve my wellness if I get the novel coronavirus. In this blog post I want to share with you COVID19 wellness information that may be helpful to you or someone that you may know. This is not medical advice, so please consult your physician. There is no cure or treatment for COVID19. The information I will share comes from reputable sources in their fields, but please talk to your doctor first.
COVID19 Prevention
The guidelines here are simple. Stay at home as much as possible and if you do have to go out wear a mask. Wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and warm water. Do not touch your face. Keep high touch surfaces clean. This is mostly it for prevention.
For more information you can visit the CDC Coronavirus section at this link Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) | CDC
How else can I prepare for COVID19?
Don’t focus on the fear. Focus instead of getting yourself ready for a fight where you will be victorious. Let’s talk about some COVID19 wellness information.
Managing a COVID19 fever
Most people that get COVID19 experience a fever and these fevers can really spike. It is very important that you have a thermometer to check your temperature to help you manage fevers. There has been a lot of debate about NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and aspirin and there is no specific research that says these medicines lower your immune system. You may prefer to take Acetaminophen also known as Tylenol in the US. Call your doctor to double check what you should take if you don’t have acetaminophen.
You may also need to apply cold compresses around your neck and shoulder area for a few minutes at a time. This can help to bring down the temperature in combination with a pain reliever or alone.
Write down all your symptoms in a journal, times, and what medicines/methods you are using. A doctor may ask you for this and you will be prepared.
Managing Chronic Pain with COVID19
This is an area where there isn’t much research at all. There are some guidelines with regards to NSAIDs like discussed previously. Also, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine recommends to try to avoid steroid injections that may also suppress the immune system. There has been limited research that some rheumatoid arthritis medication may help fight the virus, but this is currently being tested. Again, please call your medical professional to review your current medication with you.
If you are using Aromalief Hemp Pain Relief Cream to manage your pain, there are no NSAIDs in our cream.
COVID19 wellness foods
Good ol’ chicken soup is probably one of the best things you can eat to help your body stay strong and help you fight a virus including this one. Here’s a recipe that we found that you may like https://www.cookingclassy.com/cold-buster-chicken-and-pasta-soup/
Dr.Hyman, a well known functional medicine doctor, recommends boiling chopped ginger root in hot water with lime, honey, and cayenne pepper. Another option that I often share from personal experience is blending ginger, lime juice, and honey and drinking it in a shot size glass every day at least twice a day. The vitamin C and other properties in these ginger recipes may boost your immune system.
If you live alone and are over 65, you can also contact an organization like Meals on Wheels that is delivering meals to seniors to help them stay home and reduce their risk of getting infected or that are sick and can’t go out for food. https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/find-meals
You can also call your city at 311 to ask if there are programs for meals in your community. Google “meals for the elderly near me” or “meals for seniors in [your city]” Do this search right away so that you can have phone numbers ready in case you need to get these services.
COVID19 exercises
The governor of New York’s younger brother, Chris Cuomo, has been diagnosed with the virus and he is sharing his experience of battling it. In a video, he shares advice given to him by a pulmonologist that isn’t really being shared broadly. The key with COVID19 that makes it dangerous is when it lodges into the lungs and causes inflammation that makes it difficult to breathe. He was lying in bed, just sweating his fevers out and shivering for 2 days. The first thing the doctor said was to get up because if you stay lying down, it makes it very easy for this virus to move into the lungs.
If possible, laying on your stomach can also help in keeping the virus out of your lungs.
https://www.today.com/health/chris-cuomo-shares-scary-chest-x-rays-he-fights-coronavirus-t177796
Breathing Exercises for COVID19
You have to do what you can to make sure that your body is still getting oxygen. In this link you will find the technique recommended by the American Lung Association to help you get fresh air in and stale air out.
https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/wellness/breathing-exercises
Walk Around
Even if it's a small space that you are confined to just walk from side to side. This helps to get the blood flowing and oxygen into your body. You may be dizzy from the fever so be careful, but even taking a few steps every hour may help. This is not about training for a marathon or over exerting yourself, it’s about movement.
Reducing Stress and Anxiety
Like I mentioned earlier, these are really stressful times for everyone and if you are in pain, it may be even worse. We must not succumb to stress and anxiety because this has been shown to suppress our immune system and more than ever we need to be calm.
Journaling
One of the best ways to fight stress and anxiety is to journal. I was on a live training webinar recently where one of the speakers talked about how she did her journaling that I have also started doing.
Step 1 - Write down how you are feeling, what you are thinking, everything that you need to get off your chest.
Step 2 - Write down at least one thing that you are grateful for.
Step 3 - Write down at least one thing that you are looking forward to after this is all over. It can be something like spending a day with your grandkids at a park.
This can be 3 sentences, 3 paragraphs, or 3 pages. Doesn’t matter, but try to do it daily if you can.
Meditation or Prayer
I am a person of religious faith and in difficult times I pray that God may help me, protect me, and bring me peace. If you are not religious, you can still find quiet time to meditate. If you are journaling this practice may be even easier to do. After Step 3 where you write down something that you are looking forward to, you can set up a timer for 1-5 minutes to imagine every little detail about what you wrote. Having these positive thoughts and emotions will help your body to be at its best to help you fight off this virus.
I hope that this blog post can provide you and your loved ones with some help. I want to thank you for your time and for supporting our small business. I pray that you are safe and calm during this storm that shall pass.
Feel free to write to me at info@aromalief.com - Annabel
The information shared in this blog post is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult a medical professional.
AROMALIEF FREE RESOURCES
This pain tracking sheet is a simple to use form that you can print several copies and put them in a binder. You can fill it out throughout the day or every night with a warm cup of tea. Writing things down can also help to get them out of our mind.
This guide contains what we believe are essential tips to to live your best life with the help of nature. This includes: Foods, aromatherapy, meditation, routines, sleep, exercise, self care, and more. We made this guide with the hope that it will give you a starting place and push you towards living a more balanced and overall healthier life!
