You catch a cold and you start sneezing. Guess what? You are sick. There are minute particles in the atmosphere that can be harmful to the health of a living being. This state of your body when you are unhealthy is termed sickness. Sickness can occur in many ways in human beings. It can be transferred from living and nonliving things to human beings. So, how do we get sick? Why do we get sick? You will get to know all about sickness and its preventive measures as you continue to read this article.
1. How do We Get Sick?
You get sick when you get in contact with germs and viruses in the atmosphere. These contaminants enter the body of a healthy person through the nose or mouth and affect the immune system. They can also be passed to the healthy person through a sick person who comes in contact with a healthy person. After entering the body, these viruses cause symptoms that affirm the presence of sickness. (See What Causes Funny Bone Pain?)
- Sore throat, runny nose, and high fever are common symptoms of viral infections.
- Indigestion, diarrhea, and constipation are symptoms related to gastrointestinal disorders.
- Breathing issues can be a symptom of lung diseases like asthma. The characteristics and categories of diseases vary according to the type of contaminant that affects the immune system in the body of a human being.
- The recent pandemic caused by coronavirus is a communicable disease that causes severe destruction of the immune system of a human being. The major symptoms of this disease are dry throat, high fever, headache, tiredness, and runny nose. Severe symptoms included respiratory disorders like pneumonia.
These symptoms are the answers to how do we get sick. Like this, there are different diseases ranging from the common cold to cancer that can cause sickness. (See 9 Diseases Caused by Obesity)
2. Why do We get Sick?
You get sick because the functioning of your immune system is slow and weak. This can easily help the contaminants in the atmosphere to get into your body and attack your bodily functions. You are the real benefactor of your body. Getting sick is a sign that you are not being a good benefactor. Therefore, it is important to strengthen your immune system to fight against viral and bacterial invaders. (See What Vitamin Deficiency Causes Brain Fog?)
3. How often do Kids get Sick?
A normal infant can get sick six or nine times and a kid can get sick four to six times in a year. Viral infections can vary between 5 to 12 times in a year for a normal kid who gets vaccinated in the early stages. This is because of their inability to understand the conditions that can cause a disease or an illness. Kids are often prone to gastrointestinal disorders at an early age. However, these are considered normal in a growing child. So how do we get sick when exposed to schools and the community? Well, the severity of these sicknesses changes, and they get proned to severe contaminants that cause sickness. (See Importance of Child Behavioral Psychologist)
4. What factors cause You to get Sick?
There are many causes of getting sick.
- The major reason for getting sick can be attributed to unhygienic conditions in a person’s life. If a person is living under unhygienic conditions like an unclean living space or workspace with dirty surfaces or wearing untidy clothes can cause sickness.
- Improper diet and poor food intake can lead to malnutrition and create severe chronic illness. This will cause sickness and exhaustion. (See Should I Count Calories or Carbohydrate Intake?)
- Mental illnesses can be triggered by acute stress and anxiety disorders. These are chronic diseases and can affect the well-being of the person. (Also read Uses of EMDR for Anxiety Reduction)
- Exposure to new environments and new atmospheres can cause mild forms of sickness or illness like the common cold.
However, the extent of severity is determined on the basis of how do we get sick on a regular basis. A malignant virus or contaminant can cause severe disorders compared to a benign contaminant or virus.
5. How do You catch a Cold?
You can catch a cold by being in contact with an infected person.
- Rhinovirus is a common virus that causes the common cold. The virus from the body of the infected person is carried by the water droplets present in their mouth or in the nose into the atmosphere. A person who comes in contact with this sick person when he or she sneezes or coughs stands a high chance of getting infected.
- If a person is exposed to an extremely cold climate, he or she can catch a cold.
- The immunity of a person can vary from one person to another. If the immunity is weak, there are high chances of catching a cold when exposed to climate changes or changes in the weather.
However, all these can again depend on the severity of the contaminants or particles that are present in these ecosystems. These cause sickness and make you wonder, how do we get sick? (Also read How to treat a Bad Cough?)
6. How do We get Sick from Wet Hair?
No, wet hair is not supposed to get you sick. According to research scholars, wet hair cannot cause any sickness. However, sleeping with wet hair can cause fungal infections related to hair. Cold is caused by an individual’s exposure to viruses that enter through direct exposure to these viruses. Viruses and bacteria are airborne or waterborne contaminants that can cause illness only if one is exposed to them. However, cold and wet hair cannot be a reason for getting sick. (See 6 Nasal Hair Facts)
7. Can Cold Air make you Sick?
Yes, a person exposed to cold air can be sick because of the prevalence of viruses that cause the sickness. This is because the viruses can multiply in cold temperatures. During winters, the viruses spread from person to person which was already formed in the lower temperature. Most people are not suited for the cold climatic conditions. This makes people vulnerable to colds and other illnesses. The presence of viruses in the cold air can be harmful to the human body and thus can cause sickness. Must read the article what would happen if there was no sunlight?
8. How do you Avoid getting Sick?
You are familiar with the answer to how do we get sick. Now, you know how do we get sick, and to avoid getting sick, a person needs to take preventive measures against the harmful germs and contaminants that cause the sickness. There are certain steps that can be taken to prevent getting sick. This can be done by following these points. (Also read 8 Types of Good Emotional Support Dogs)
- Sanitize or wash the hands properly to kill the germs. Clean surfaces of furniture and other materials on a daily basis.
- Improve the sleeping pattern by getting adequate sleep. This can reduce stress, anxiety, and other chronic disorders. A good amount of sleep and adequate rest is primary for the development of strong and healthy well-being.
- Proper intake of food along with a balanced diet is advisable to improve metabolism. One can stay healthy by eating food rich in carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. A properly balanced diet with less intake of sugary food items and spicy items can help in improving the immune system. The deficiency of an adequate amount of iron and minerals like magnesium can also lead to sickness. This can be improved by the intake of green leafy food items and fruits that will help in increasing the amount of iron and minerals.
- Improve immunity by doing exercises and meditation. Thus the immune system of a person can be strong against the particular viruses or contaminants that cause the sickness. So to strengthen your immune system, practicing yoga and exercise should be a compulsory routine. (See Busted! 27 Myths About Fitness Exercises and Workouts)
- Getting vaccinated against harmful diseases and avoiding direct contact with a sick person.
9. How to Fight against Infection?
Yes, getting sick can be good for you. It is because of the capability of your body to fight back a virus or a germ. This capacity explains that your immune system is active and is responsive to any kind of infectious element contaminating your body. The symptoms induced by the virus that attacks the body are actually helping the body to destroy and eliminate the virus out of the body. Thus, getting sick means you are getting a challenge to fight against the infection. Only if you fight this challenge, can you emerge as a healthy person. But, why do we get sick? Read the next section to know more about this. (See Why are Arteries Red?)
10. Is Chocolate good for Sore Throat?
Yes, chocolates can relieve a sore throat. But this effect is not a lasting one. Like honey, chocolate can desensitize the effect of the pain caused by a sore throat. Dark chocolates work better than regular chocolates. They contain cacao in them. It has antioxidant properties that can provide relief against irritation. However, this is not a proper cure for sore throat. Continuous intake of chocolates can increase phlegm. It can also lead to harmful disorders. (See 25 Best Home Made Remedies for Sore Throat)
Sickness can be a boon and a bane. Life is like a sickness that allows one to fight the invaders and challengers in your way. If you can prevent the causes of a disease or fight a disease, it shows your strength and power in helping your body. On the other hand, if you are worried about your sickness, it cannot be cured without taking proper measures to cure it. At that moment, remember, why do we get sick and how do we get sick. Then you will be guided to your cure. (See 15 Pressure Points To Relieve Body Discomforts)
