About this season, there inevitably comes a point when you find yourself feeling under the weather, often without any prior planning or anticipation. You normally expect you will be as fit as fiddle and not even the slightest notion of dizziness crosses your mind. On occasion, you might wake up with a slight tickle in the throat, which often heralds the onset of something like a common cold. It's your body's early warning system, suggesting that it's time to take some extra care of yourself, perhaps indulging in warm gingered tea and ample rest, to ward off the impending sniffles and sneezes.
If you know how to deal with the precursor, you nip it in the bud before it escalates and manifests in your entire body. For instance, you may take lozenges if you notice a subtle scratchiness in your vocal cords before it develops into a sore throat. If left unchecked, you end up catching a bug whose origin is uncertain, given the multitude of people we encounter daily. Suddenly, you find that you are not 100%. While it may not be a definitive sign of illness, it is a good indicator that your immune system is gearing up for a fight. Being aware of these signals puts you in a better position to timely take action to maintain your health.
Some people opt for a cautious approach, taking the physician's route, while others adopt a more laissez-faire attitude, hoping their bodies will acclimate. Regardless of whether you have insurance coverage or not, it's wise to consult a healthcare professional. An initial remedy may be to lie low and focus on getting better; this advice often slips your mind, or you may be unaware of it. It's important to remember that taking time to rest and heal is not just beneficial but necessary for speedy recovery.
While it is a smart move to take time off to rest and consult a doctor if symptoms persist, the folly in you may delay seeking medical attention until the situation worsens. Some may even turn to traditional remedies, such as herbalists, or home remedies, like Mwarubaini, to boost our immune system. Mwarubaini, for instance, is known to be effective for common colds when dissolved in hot water and inhaled as steam, aiding in the expulsion of pathogens from the body. Although I've never tried it myself, I recall my mother administering a similar remedy called 'yath afita' during my childhood. It was a pungent concoction that would not only make me sneeze but help clear out any congestion in the nasal passages.
This past week, I began to notice symptoms of an impending illness. It started with a dry throat, a sensation that seemed to loom in the distance and left me a bit uneasy. Soon after, my stomach started feeling a little bit off. Then a bloated sensation crept in and I thought some over-the-counter drugs would work. Hoping to alleviate these symptoms, I opted for Eno. As the weather turned colder, I found myself battling a fever, compounded by a loss of appetite. Some fevers have a way of laying you down. They invade like a fierce toro bravo charging towards a matador in a bullring with magenta and gold capote as the only weapon for protection. The way the bull is bred, its aggression is matched only by its formidable physique. It is swift, nimble, and agile. And trained to target the matador who must expertly dodge the bull's horns and outmaneuver the charging beast.
The bull analogy may not be flawless, but it underscores a crucial correlation. Just as the bull charges into the ring, unpredictable and potent, illness can strike unexpectedly, leaving one vulnerable and unprepared. When interacting with others during this season, the risk of infection looms, especially in social settings where contact is prolonged. The virus, much like the charging bull, maybe in its final stages of exiting from its host's body. Without taking proper preventive measures, one becomes susceptible to its impact as it lodges itself in the immune system, ready to wreak havoc.
After a while, if your body does not succumb to indisposition and you are bedridden, you always can go back to what you do best. Health is wealth and it should be safeguarded with utmost discretion. The same way that the secret service guards the POTUS with ironclad vigilance. If you feel like you need attention, don't hesitate to visit a health center with qualified and certified medics who can check, diagnose, and recommend some medication to improve your health. On the other hand, some individuals rarely fall ill due to their dominant and allele genes. You rarely hear that they called in sick; that's just about them.
Hasta La Vista, Baby.
