Living in close quarters especially during flu season does make it more difficult to avoid illness. When you do catch something, you need to know how sick is too sick to take care of yourself and when to ask for help either by going to the infirmary or calling a doctor.  When in doubt call the doctor anyway so he or she can tell you whether you need to be seen.     

Disclaimer: Mama is not a medical expert and does not claim to be one.  The following is merely offered as "motherly advice," i.e. the kind you might get if you bothered to call your Mom once in a while! ;)  

Coughs and Colds

As you know there is no cure for the common cold. You just have to tough it out for a few days until the symptoms start to subside.

• Over the counter medicines treat the symptoms but won't shorten the length of your illness. 
• Call the doctor if your cough lasts more than a week or is accompanied by a fever or bleeding.
• Any time you see blood in your urine, your stool or you are coughing it up go straight to the doctor’s office.

Fevers

Take the recommended dose of asprin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen or naproxen to reduce your body temperature.  You can also take a cold shower or bath. 

• Seek medical advice if your body temperature remains over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 48 hours. 
• If your temperature shoots up past 103 degrees call the doctor right away. 
• Unless you are throwing up, it is important to drink fluids when you are sick. Sports drinks help replenish your electrolytes.  Mix it with water if you don't like the taste. 
• Fever and diarrhea can cause severe dehydration, which could make you even sicker than you already are. 
• Throwing up is also dehydrating but until you can keep something down there is no point in adding more liquids.  Try sucking on ice or a popsicle. 
• Don't go back to school or work until you have had a normal body temperature for 24 hours.   

Sore throat

• Treat a sore throat with lozenges, tea and honey or gargle with salt water.
• You can also take asprin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen or naproxen to ease the pain. 
• If it becomes very hard to swallow or you have difficulty breathing or feel faint you should call a doctor.

Ear Aches

• They are less common as you get older. They are caused when fluid is trapped in your ears and becomes infected.
• They can go away by themselves but if the pain is accompanied by headache, vomiting or fever then it’s time to get medical attention.

Stomach Pain

Stomach pain can be caused by something minor like, eating too much, constipation or exercising too vigorously.

• But pain accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, blood in your stool or fever may be more serious and you should consult a medical expert. 
• After a bout of diarrhea you will need to gently ease your stomach back to normal by eating things that won’t irritate it. 
• Doctors usually suggest the B.R.A.T diet which stands for Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast. Stick to those four things and drink a combination of Gatorade and water for a day or two until you feel better.
• Slowly add other starches and then fruits and vegetables and monitor how you feel.
• If those foods don’t trigger any unpleasant reaction then you can add meat and dairy products the next day. 

Joint/Muscle Pain

When you are physically active, it's almost inevitable that sooner or later you are going to hurt yourself. People with a high tolerance for pain can hurt themselves and not know it. 

Doctors usually recommend the R.I.C.E. method of therapy which means rest, ice, compression and elevation.  

• Rest the part of your body that hurts and elevate it on pillows if possible.   
• Put ice wrapped in a towel on it for 20-30 minutes every couple hours. 
• Take an anti-inflammatory like acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help reduce the swelling and you should feel better in a couple days.
• Call the doctor if something hurts so much it prevents you from sleeping, you are waking up in pain, or it doesn’t get better in a few days.  You may need an xray to see if something is broken or torn.  A doctor can also prescribe stronger medicines to help you get through the night. 

Concussions

Concussions are not taken seriously enough and that is why a lot of former athletes are walking around with brain injuries today. I don’t want this to happen to you.

• Most concussions come from sports injuries but any blow to the head can cause one.
• It happens when your soft brain tissue slams against your hard skull, which can cause bruising or even nerve damage.
• If you are playing a sport and hit your head hard enough to “see stars,” cause a headache, dizziness, loss of memory, lack of coordination, difficulty concentrating or you faint, do NOT get back in the game.
• You could cause serious injury to your brain if you hit your head again before it heals. Repeated concussions can cause permanent brain damage and even death.
• The only treatment is rest. You should not engage in any physical activity for at least a week after hitting your head and only return to sports when you feel 100% better. 
• Don't let your coach or teammates make you feel bad for sitting out a few games. Bravery can be very stupid when you are talking about brain injuries.
• Keep an eye out for the following symptoms in the days following the injury: vomiting, blurry vision, slurred speech, numbness in your limbs, bleeding from your ears or nose, confusion or a change in personality.
• Get immediate medical attention if you have any of these symptoms. You probably need an x-ray or CT scan to assess the damage.

Cuts

• Minor cuts are less than 1/4 inch deep and stop bleeding once you put pressure on them for 10 minutes.  If you are able, hold the injured body part up over your heart while applying pressure to help stop the bleeding faster. 
• Once it stops bleeding you need to keep it clean and cover it lightly with a bandage. 
• Hydrogen peroxide can be used to clean cuts. You pour it over a cut and it begins to foam.  The little bubbles are cleaning out the infection.  Keep applying until you no longer see any foaming action.  You could also try rubbing alcohol or just soap and water. 
• If the cut gets hot or starts throbbing that means it's dirty.  Clean it regularly and it will heal on its own.   
• If the cut is deeper than 1/4 inch, has any skin or fat protruding, won't stop bleeding or is more than 2-inches long you probably need a stitch or two or ten so get yourself to a medical expert asap.

Burns

• Place the burned area under cold running water immediately.  Stay there for 15 minutes or if you have something large enough fill a container and immerse the wound in it for 15-to-20 minutes. 
• Ice can prevent blistering but DO NOT put it directly on your skin.  Put ice in a plastic bag or wrap it in a towel or cloth and then apply to the wound. 
• If it does blister, do not pop the blister because it could cause an infection.  It will break on its own. 
• Depending on how bad the burn is it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to heal. 
• Keep it clean by washing with soap and water and cover lightly if it hurts.   You can use an aloe gel or cream to help heal the skin. 
• Burn creams and ointments dont make it go away any faster.    
• If the burn is blackened, all white, really deep or the burn victim is going into shock (nausea, dizziness, clammy skin, fast pulse, turning blue) get help immediately.  
• A really deep burn may not hurt cause it kills nerves and tissue so don't assume you are in the clear.       

Bug Bites

• A bug bite can be treated by cleaning the area and removing any visible stingers.   
• Applying a bag of ice to the area for 10-20 minutes will ease the swelling and numb any pain.
• You can take an antihistamine like Benadryl to calm the itch. (Look for the non-drowsy formula unless you have time for a nap).
• If the swelling spreads or gets worse over time or you start to feel nauseous, dizzy or short of breath, then you may be allergic to whatever bit you and you need to get medical help right away.