--- title: "\"It will pass on its own\": Family doctor explains why it is dangerous to push through an illness" description: "Family doctor Liliia Sarahman explained why it is important to stop in time during an illness: pushing through an infection on your feet can prolong recovery and increase the risk of complications, including pneumonia and myocarditis." date: 2026-11-07T08:39:53.194Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/doctor-explains-why-rest-during-illness tags: [health, flu, recovery, wellness, doctor-advice] author: "Darya Fomina, Inna Kinsheva" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # "It will pass on its own": Family doctor explains why it is dangerous to push through an illness ![A man in a scarf sits at a computer holding a thermometer amidst medications](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/07/vrach-rasskazala-pochemu-vazhno-otdyhat-pri-bolezni/vrach-rasskazala-pochemu-vazhno-otdyhat-pri-bolezni-1.webp) ## Key Points - People often ignore the first symptoms of illness due to lack of time, fear of missing work, and the habit of enduring discomfort. - Pushing through an infection increases stress on the body, prolongs recovery, and raises the risk of complications. - Flu complications include pneumonia, myocarditis, exacerbation of chronic conditions, and in rare cases, nervous system damage. - If you have a fever, weakness, and aches, it is best to stay home; returning to routine should be gradual, after at least 24 hours fever-free without antipyretics. Work, household chores, children, and constant deadlines often force people to neglect their own health. Even when a fever, weakness, or body aches appear, many continue to work, exercise, and carry out their usual duties, hoping the malaise will «pass on its own.» Family doctor Liliia Sarahman, in an exclusive commentary for [WAVE (RBC-Ukraine)](https://wave.rbc.ua/ukr/wellness/hvoriti-chasi-likar-rozpovila-chomu-lyudi-1793884119.html), explained why this strategy is flawed and when the body truly needs rest. ### Why people ignore the first symptoms According to the doctor, the first signs of illness are most often ignored due to a lack of time, fear of missing work days, or simply the habit of enduring discomfort. A person gets used to acting «on autopilot» and fails to notice the increasing stress on the body until their condition becomes critical. This very habit of not stopping is the main reason why a mild indisposition develops into a prolonged illness. ### What happens in the body during an infection During an infection, the body spends a significant portion of its resources fighting the pathogen. If you do not give yourself enough rest during this period, continue working, exercising, and getting insufficient sleep, the strain on the body only increases. The doctor notes that this can worsen overall well-being, prolong the recovery period, and, with certain infections, increase the likelihood of complications. In other words, «pushing through» an illness does not speed up a return to routine affairs, but slows it down. ### The special danger of flu and its complications Special care must be taken during the flu: it is not just a «bad cold,» but a viral infection that can take a severe course and affect various organs and systems. Among potential complications, the doctor highlights viral or bacterial pneumonia, myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), exacerbation of chronic diseases, and in rare cases, damage to the nervous system. Importantly, such complications can occur even in people who previously had no health problems, which is why self-prescribing medications, particularly antibiotics, should be avoided. ### When it is time to stop and stay home Liliia Sarahman recommends: if an elevated temperature is accompanied by weakness, body aches, a cough, or a runny nose, it is best to abandon work and other routine tasks and stay home. Special attention should be paid to the disease's dynamics—if, after initial improvement, the temperature rises again, the cough intensifies, shortness of breath or chest pain appears, it is necessary to seek medical help rather than continuing to «endure it.» ### How to correctly return to your usual rhythm Returning to the usual rhythm of life should be gradual. For a respiratory infection, the doctor recommends focusing on overall symptom improvement and at least 24 hours without a fever without using antipyretic drugs. The need for recovery is not always accompanied by obvious infection symptoms: sometimes the body signals exhaustion through changes in well-being and daily activity, and these signals deserve attention too. ### Rest is part of recovery, not weakness The doctor emphasizes: you should not wait for the moment when the body literally forces you to abandon your usual affairs. Resting during an illness is not a sign of weakness or an unnecessary luxury, but an important part of recovery. The ability to notice changes in well-being in time, seek medical help, and give yourself time to heal helps you take a more responsible attitude toward your own health. ## Fact-Check & Sources - ["Само пройдет": врач рассказала, почему люди часто игнорируют потребность в отдыхе](https://wave.rbc.ua/ukr/wellness/hvoriti-chasi-likar-rozpovila-chomu-lyudi-1793884119.html) - Primary source: commentary by family doctor Liliia Sarahman. All article theses (reasons for ignoring symptoms, stress on the body, flu complications, criteria for returning to work) are taken strictly from the source text. ## FAQ ### Why do people keep working when they are sick? According to the doctor, most often due to a lack of time, fear of missing work days, or the habit of enduring discomfort. ### What complications are possible with the flu? The doctor names viral or bacterial pneumonia, myocarditis, exacerbation of chronic diseases, and in rare cases, damage to the nervous system. ### When can you return to work after a respiratory infection? The return should be gradual: the benchmark is general symptom improvement and at least 24 hours without an elevated temperature without antipyretic drugs. ### Can you prescribe antibiotics to yourself? No, the doctor does not recommend self-prescribing medications, particularly antibiotics, and advises seeing a doctor if your condition worsens.