When to Stay at Home If You’re Not Feeling Well

When to Stay Home Sick

If you wake up feeling ill but have an important day planned, or your child is running a fever but has a big test scheduled at school, the pressure is on – what should you do? On one hand, you don’t feel well and want to avoid exposing others to a potentially contagious illness, but on the other, you don’t want to fall behind. While it might be tempting to forge ahead, many experts agree that pushing yourself or your child to be available and perform while sick can prolong the illness and possibly make it even worse.

To help you decide whether it would be best to stay home, here are some general guidelines:

  • Fever – A body temperature of approximately 100F or higher warrants staying at home in bed until it returns to normal (usually 98.6F) without the use of medication, and remains so for at least 24 hours. Note: An infant who has a fever should receive immediate medical attention.
  • Uncontrollable coughing – A cough that seems to come from deep within the lungs could be a sign of a serious infection and justifies staying home. It may be OK to go to work or school with a mild cough if you feel up to it and no other symptoms are present. Be sure to cover your mouth when coughing and wash your hands frequently.
  • Persistent vomiting or diarrhea – When caused by food or medication, vomiting and diarrhea are not contagious, so if this is the case, it is generally safe to go about your daily routine as long as you feel able. However, when unrelated to food or medication, these symptoms can signal a contagious infection. Therefore, you should stay at home until you feel better, and in the meantime, drink plenty of water. If you are unable to keep any liquids down, you could become severely dehydrated. Seek immediate medical attention of you experience any symptoms of dehydration, such as weakness, headaches, and dark-colored urine.
  • Skin rash – A non-allergic rash that spreads quickly, produces open wounds, or oozes could be contagious and should be evaluated by a physician. You can go to work or school with a mild skin rash if you cover it and you feel able to concentrate.

Of course, it’s admirable to want to show up and be reliable, but it is more important to take good care of yourself when you’re feeling under the weather.

If you’d like to see a physician for any of these or other symptoms, you are welcome to call or visit South Tampa Immediate Care. There is no need to call ahead for an appointment, but if you’d like, you can use our convenient virtual check-in system online.