Staying Healthy During a Pandemic

By: James Goydos 

For those with concerns about their own health, each day can be a challenge. From waking up in the morning to aches and pains to dealing with a difficult diagnosis or prognosis, a normal day can be fraught with complications. In a pre-pandemic world, it is safe to say that coping with health concerns is challenging enough. Topping this with the very real threat of a novel virus, and coping can seem insurmountable. In a world in which almost 800,000 people have died from the coronavirus, taking care of one’s health is even more important. However, the thought can be more harrowing, especially for those with compromised immune systems. For those that, on a good day, have a mild fear of doctors, COVID-19 has helped to stoke greater fears of the white coat.  White coat syndrome is now often coupled for many with the threat of infection for a presently incurable disease. 

In a normal world, we might delay a trip to our doctor for any number of reasons. From fear to lack of funds, or simply just not enough hours in the day, a visit is something that may be put off until circumstances improve. None of that changes during a pandemic, of course. Instead, there is yet another perceived reason to delay. Fear of contracting something from another sick person during an appointment simply gets added to the list. As a doctor, I cannot tell you that this fear is unfounded, but I can tell you that caution and preparation will help you and your loved ones better navigate this new world to keep you healthy. 

Listen To Your Doctor & Do Your Own Research

It is always important to be your own advocate when it comes to your own health. In a pandemic, this takes on even greater importance. Ensuring that you take the proper care to safeguard your own health and those of your friends and family remains essential. This includes listening to your medical professional(s) and also doing your own research. Of course, it bears repeating that one shouldn’t believe everything they read online. With the aid of social media, disinformation has crept its way onto many computers worldwide. Never take anything that you hear at face value; double-check everything you’re told, even if it’s coming from someone you trust implicitly. Get your data from trustworthy sources. Valid, reliable research should always be your first go-to. 

When you’re looking to arm yourself with information about your health and safety in regards to the novel coronavirus, seek out official sources like the CDC, WHO, and NIH. Consider the official sources in other countries, as well, like the UK’s NHS or Australia’s Department of Health. These organizations are equally useful as sources for other health-related questions. Corroborating with multiple sources can also help to double-check data veracity, too. 

Keep Track Of Your Health Yourself

Staying healthy pre-pandemic was already important. Keeping your health in tip-top shape during a crisis, however, has led it to take on a higher order of precedence. One way to do that is to monitor. Just like you would go for a doctor for a regular check-up, you can monitor your own health, too. This information makes your eventual visit to the doctor (physical or digital) that much more beneficial. The more information they have about your health, the more informed decisions can be made. 

One of the many ways you can self-monitor is to keep track of how you’re feeling every day. Observe your own body and listen when it tells you that something is different. You can keep a daily journal, use wearable technology to monitor your vitals, or use a myriad of other solutions to monitor based on your specific concerns. Whatever you choose, make sure you find a tool(s) that you can build into your daily routine. We’ll get to the practicalities of visiting your doctor during a pandemic next. 

“I have a weird freckle on my arm that wasn’t there before.” Make a note of it, keep an eye on it. If it continues to change, call your doctor! There are several technological tools that can help you monitor your skin if this is a concern. But simply noting changes and addressing them with your doctor can be the difference between an early diagnosis and a poor prognosis.

“I have a cough that won’t go away.” Do I have a fever? What are the symptoms of Covid-19, anyway? Couldn’t this just be the flu? Consider making an appointment to receive the flu shot this year to help take a little of the guesswork out of this particular question for yourself and for the sake of the people you will be coming into contact with this year. More importantly, both diseases are serious illnesses, and knowing when to seek help is important. 

“My vision has changed, and I have a headache.” This could be an emergency, or it could be a migraine. You should learn the difference, and know what the symptoms of a stroke are. 

You should even keep track of things like the way your bowel movements go every day, what the tissue looks like when you cough into it, or what color your urine is in the toilet bowl. Tracking this type of information might be unpleasant, but these are important biomarkers for health. And in uncertain times, taking these sorts of action can help to put a bit of that control over your own health back into your own hands. 

Be You Own Advocate

 Be aware of your own health and take precautionary measures to ensure you are staying safe. This means monitoring your health and following the recommendations of healthcare experts and those organizations already mentioned above. With this said, however, it is important to be equally cautious towards your own awareness. In uncertain times, a certain degree of anxiety is understandable. There are many unknowns, and that can be unsettling at best. But be careful not to allow this anxiety to turn into paranoia. Just as many people may dismiss their own serious health symptoms because they may be sure it will just “go away” or because their friends talked them out of talking to their doctor, many others are equally hyper-sensitive to the point of dysfunction when it comes to their health. There is a middle ground where you are aware but not causing yourself undue stress. If that spot you found on your arm starts looking even more strange, or that cough you have isn’t going away, take precautions. Tell your doctor what you’ve observed, even if you think that what you’re counting as a symptom is stupid or silly. We are good friends with “silly” and even things that you think might be insignificant might not be.  

Call your doctor and ask if they’re able to see you remotely; a lot of doctor’s visits can be performed remotely, especially now during a global pandemic. You might have heard the term “telemedicine.” In short, telemedicine is what it sounds like – the practice of medicine remotely. Amongst its many benefits, telemedicine makes healthcare more accessible. Especially during a pandemic where physical contact presents its own challenges, being able to have an audio and/or video-call with your doctor instead can be a welcome alternative. Of course, this is not always possible or optimal for certain medical visits, but it can be a great short-term solution for certain needs. Telemedicine allows doctors to help their patients even when they are not physically present. If they can’t see you remotely, they will have precautions in place to protect your health and theirs during the in-person visit. 

Keep Your Spirits Up!

Staying healthy means caring to not only your body, but also your mind. During this pandemic, many have struggled with how to cope while being forced to stay inside and away from our friends, our work, and away from social and sport activities that we would normally take part in. For many, this adds additional challenges to an already difficult mental state. Many that have previously struggled with things like anxiety or depression are finding it even more difficult to cope during the pandemic. It can be difficult to maintain a positive mindset in a world in which many of the things that you enjoy but may have taken for granted are no longer as easy to perform. Being mindful of your own mental wellbeing and being creative about how to offset any negative impacts that your new routine might have on your mental health is important. 

We’ve seen countless examples of this over the last few months, from friends holding dinner parties via video chat to neighbors holding exercise sessions on their balconies, people are getting creative about how to be social and safe at the same time. Take up a new hobby or pick up a hobby that you’ve previously had no time for. Read a book, take a (socially distanced) walk outside. Most importantly, be aware of your mental health and do not be afraid to ask to help. From remote medicine to therapy, to healthcare chatbots, there are many avenues available for help. Your physical health depends a lot on your mental health – so keep your spirits up, be observant, and be safe.  

 

  

About James Goydos, M.D. James Goydos, M.D. has over 20 years experience as a Professor, Surgeon, and Clinical Trial Lead. He is a leading expert in melanoma research and specialist in Surgical Oncology. Learn more at https://jamesgoydos.com