M.D.S’ best COVID recovery tips

When it comes to COVID, we could all use good news. So it’s great to know that 80% of people recover from the virus at home. Still, no one wants to deal with lingering symptoms. That’s why we asked top doctors for their best strategies that enhanced recovery in their patients

To breathe easier: Watch TV on your stomach

It’s natural to lie back on the couch to relax, but doing so puts extra pressure on lower air sacs in the lungs. Switching to your side or stomach allows you to use your lungs more fully, boosting oxygen levels within 5 minutes, a study in Cureus found. That’s why Teresa Murray Amato, M.D., chairwoman of emergency medicine at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills hospital, advises sleeping on your side, and lying on your belly with a pillow under your chest every hour or so daily. ■

“Deep breaths push air into the lungs and open air pockets that may be collapsed,” says Raymond Casciari, M.D., a pulmonologist at St. Joseph Hospital in California. “This helps prevent mucus buildup and enhances oxygen delivery.” Try this: Take a deep breath, hold for 5 seconds, then release. Repeat a total of five times, coughing once as you release the fifth breath. Says Dr. Casciari, “We’ve used this to help with respiratory illnesses for years.”

To fight fever: Try this OTC duo

To ensure relief, Jacqueline Winfield Fincher, M.D., president of the American College of Physicians, advises alternating between acetaminophen and NSAIDS. “Studies show it can be more effective at bringing down a high temperature,” she says. “Plus, it reduces the odds you’ll overdo either drug.” Start with acetaminophen, then later take an NSAID, spacing your doses as far apart as the labels suggest. ■ And spoon up Jell- O Fluid loss caused by fever raises the risk of dehydration, which can impair lung function and increase the odds of pneumonia. Dr. Amato advises sipping water or sports drinks often and eating fluid-rich foods like Jell-o, applesauce and Popsicles. “You’ll know you’re well hydrated by your urine color, which should be pale yellow rather than dark yellow or amber,” she says.

To calm coughing: Suck on a lozenge

When dealing with the dry cough that often accompanies COVID, Dr. Casciari recommends sucking on mentholated cough drops or sour candies. “Their pungent flavors increase saliva production, which lubricates the throat,” he notes.

■ And breathe in steam

“Inhaling steam is one of the best things you can do for a cough,” says Leslie Mendoza Temple, M.D., medical director of the Northshore University Healthsystem’s integrative medicine program in Chicago. “It soothes upper airways to tamp down the nerve responses that trigger coughs.” She recommends lingering in a hot shower or creating your own “steam room” by sitting in the bathroom with the shower turned on.

To tame tiredness: Supercharge your smoothie

When the body is fighting COVID, it breaks down muscles for the extra energy it needs to keep its systems going. No wonder folks feel exhausted! But Sanjay Dogra, M.D., a pulmonary critical care specialist, explains getting ample protein helps build and repair muscle, so you feel less tired. That’s why he advises adding a scoop of protein powder to a virus-fighting berry smoothie daily.

■ And listen to your body

“Getting up to move around is important since it benefits the lungs and reduces the risk of blood clots,” Dr. Amato says. Her advice: “Walk around the house every few hours, a couple laps if you can. Just be careful not to tire yourself by trying to do anything too taxing.”