This Is What You Should Actually Do If You Feel Yourself Getting Sick

We've all felt that impending sense of doom when we realize a cold is coming.

Maybe your nose is a little runny or your throat is tighter than normal — either way, you know a cold is coming and you can't seem to stop it.

The common cold is a viral infection of your nose and throat that can be caused by many different types of viruses. It's usually pretty harmless and goes away, but it definitely doesn't feel that way — symptoms include a runny nose, congestion, coughing, sneezing, and even a low-grade fever. Simply put, colds suck.

So what's actually the best thing to do when you already feel yourself getting sick with a cold?

Obviously, you want to do whatever you can to prevent the cold from getting any worse and help your body recover so you can get back to normal. But what actually helps? We reached out to Dr. Pritish K. Tosh, infectious disease specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to find out.

1. The most important steps are to get plenty of rest and drink fluids. Here's why.

"Really the bulk, if not all of it, is just getting adequate rest and fluids," Tosh says. So rather than focusing on which hacks or cures will stop your cold in its tracks (because there aren't any magic healing charms, sorry) you should just focus on downtime and hydration. "If you aren’t getting enough rest or fluids, you won't feel better no matter how much orange juice or chicken soup you have," Tosh says.

Most colds will go away on their own, but you should see a doctor if your cold causes any of the following symptoms: a fever over 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit, Getting  a fever lasting more than five days, a severe sore throat, severe headache or sinus pain, and trouble breathing or wheezing.

2. You need to get enough sleep and rest so your body can recover from a cold.

So how much sleep do you need? "It depends on the individual — some people feel well rested after four or five hours of sleep, some people need nine or ten hours," Tosh says. According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults aged 25–64 years will need about seven to nine hours of sleep. But you should get as much sleep as you need to feel well-rested, then some more rest on top of that.

You have to stay in your bed all day long, but just take it easy and don't go out and run a million errands or do activities that require a lot of energy. If you feel really sick or your job is very active, you might want to take a day or two off if it's possible, so you can get your rest.