After the flu, you may feel weak and dizzy. This is not unusual, as long as it does not last for weeks.
Weak and dizzy: Reasons why you feel this way after the flu
People who have recovered from the flu are usually not immediately able to perform at their best. After all, your body has just used all its energy to fight off pathogens. Your muscles and metabolism, on the other hand, were less active, especially if you were unable to do anything but lie down.
- Depending on the infection, it may also have affected your cardiovascular system and your body neurologically, i.e., your nerves. Recovery can then take up to one or two weeks after the flu.
- It becomes more serious if you still feel exhausted and tired even after weeks or months, or if you even experience dizziness. You should also be alert if you can hardly go for a walk or climb stairs without experiencing shortness of breath or an increased heart rate, even though this was not the case before the infection. The viruses or bacteria may also have affected your heart.
- In fact, some people also suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome after the flu or, for example, a coronavirus infection, which can manifest itself in nerve disorders and muscle pain. The condition, also known as ME/CFS for “myalgic encephalomyelitis,” describes an inflammation in the brain or spinal cord, the origin of which has not yet been conclusively clarified.
- Stress, in everyday life or through sports, for example, can cause the condition to become apparent, and ME/CFS is often chronic. Fatigue manifests itself after six months when, despite exhausted muscles and a feeling of fog in the head, there is also inner restlessness and increased blood pressure and heart rate.
Help available after the flu
Even when they are still half sick or have just recovered from the flu, most people try to get back to their normal routine at full speed. But that is where the first problem lies: even if you do not suffer from chronic fatigue or exhaustion syndrome, your body is still weakened after a serious infection. That is why you should take more care of your body than many people allow themselves to do.
- Immediately resuming training or going about your daily routine and rushing from appointment to appointment as if you had never been ill is exactly the wrong approach.
Even though many people feel guilty about taking time off, rushing back into everyday life usually does more harm to your body than you think.
- So allow yourself breaks and don’t overdo it with your exercise program or appointments. If you notice that your body still needs rest, you should listen to it.
- If, two weeks or more after the flu, you still feel like you can’t get going at all, or if you can barely manage a simple walk, you should definitely see your doctor. The Heart Foundation warns that otherwise you could be delaying treatment for heart muscle inflammation, also known as myocarditis. Symptoms of heart involvement include unusual water retention in the legs or a feeling of pressure spreading across the chest.
- If your condition is really serious and you also have chronic fatigue syndrome, for example, which, incidentally, has nothing to do with depression or burnout, but with your autoimmune system, there is no medication available to treat it. ME/CFS is currently incurable, but doctors can help you manage symptoms such as sleep disorders and pain.
- In addition, you can learn to better distribute your limited reserves in everyday life through “pacing,” i.e., targeted energy management, and not to ignore necessary breaks.
- Otherwise, the usual tips for regaining strength and finally feeling healthier will also help you: these include a nutritious diet instead of fast food, sufficient sugar-free fluids during the day, light exercise in the fresh air, and sufficient sleep and rest periods.
