Right now I am suffering badly with a cold/ (or flu as I am a man). As I have many critical meetings etc at work today I must go in and suffer, rather than satying home in bed as I desperately want to.
Question - is there any scientific (as opposed to anecdotal) evidence that staying in bed cures a cold faster than say going to work? (I know that I am more likely to spread my germs going to work but that is another matter)
First, for the flu (if it is the Flu, you would know it and wouldn’t be asking the question cause it is on a whole other level versus a bad cold)…for the flu, rest is often needed because you are in a weakened state, often with fever and are going to face challenges just getting in nutrition and liquids. Also, your immune system and fever will tax you enough, so rest seems to be helpful.
For a cold, I’d be surprised if anyone can tell me that your body is weakened to the point that you need rest. I doubt your immune system could benefit from tons of rest.
The rule would be: Are you fighting your body by getting out of bed…like really fighting to function against pain? Then get some REST! When with the FLU, you battle to get out of bed - big time- so rest is obviously required.
Scientific evidence? No. But in general it is wise to listen to one’s body. If you truly feel like you should be in bed, then you should. If your nose is simply stuffed up, haul your ass in to work and wash your hands a lot. But if you ache all over, or just have no energy, then your body is telling you to rest and you should heed its advice.
According to Allen C, Glasziou P, Del Mar C who “systematically searched MEDLINE and the Cochrane library, and retrieved reports on randomised controlled trials of bed rest versus early mobilisation for any medical condition” (Bed rest: a potentially harmful treatment needing more careful evaluation Lancet 1999 Oct 9;354(9186):1229-33), “We should not assume any efficacy for bed rest. Further studies need to be done to establish evidence for the benefit or harm of bed rest as a treatment.”
They didn’t find any reports on bed rest as a treatment for a common cold but did find “39 trials of bed rest for 15 different conditions (total patients 5777)” “In 24 trials investigating bed rest following a medical procedure, no outcomes improved significantly and eight worsened significantly” “In 15 trials investigating bed rest as a primary treatment, no outcomes improved significantly and nine worsened significantly for some conditions (acute low back pain, labour, proteinuric hypertension during pregnancy, myocardial infarction, and acute infectious hepatitis).”
thanks for the cite Yeah. i only hope my wife doesn’t see it, otherwise I will never be allowed to take a sicky ever again