Looking After Yourself When You Are Ill

The lessons at a glance

1. Being ill on your own: make a sick-day plan before you need it

At home, someone probably noticed when you were unwell and brought you soup. Living alone, the first time you are properly ill can feel frightening. A plan made while you are well means you only have to follow it, not think, when you are ill.

• Plan while you are well, so you only follow steps when you are ill.
• Make sure at least one nearby person knows when you are unwell.
• Save the right numbers for the country you live in, not just the UAE.
• If you are unsure how urgent something is, ask for advice early rather than waiting alone.

2. Your medicine cabinet and first aid kit

A small, well-chosen kit in your room means you are not walking to a pharmacy with a fever at midnight. This lesson covers what to keep for minor illness; for a full first aid kit, see the First Aid module's kit lesson.

• A thermometer, painkillers, rehydration sachets and antihistamines cover most minor illness.
• Keep medicines in their boxes with leaflets, and check expiry dates regularly.
• Return expired medicines to a pharmacy.
• Stock comfort foods and fluids before you are ill.

3. Using over-the-counter medicines safely

Medicines you can buy without a prescription are safe when used as directed, but most accidental overdoses happen because people take two products that contain the same ingredient. This lesson teaches you to read a label like a pharmacist.

• Read the active ingredient, not the brand name.
• Never take two products containing the same ingredient at once.
• Keep to the gap between doses and the 24-hour maximum.
• If you take too much, get medical advice even if you feel fine.
• Pharmacists give free advice; use them.

4. Colds, flu, sore throats and fever

Your first term will almost certainly bring 'freshers' flu', a run of colds and coughs as thousands of people from different countries mix. Knowing what is normal, and what is not, lets you look after yourself calmly.

• Flu hits suddenly; a cold builds over a day or two.
• Antibiotics do not treat colds or flu.
• 38C or above is a high temperature; stay away from others until it is normal.
• Chest pain, severe breathlessness or difficulty swallowing mean emergency help.

5. Stomach bugs, food poisoning and dehydration

Vomiting and diarrhoea are miserable alone, and the real risk is not the bug itself but losing too much fluid. This lesson shows you how to stay hydrated, protect your flatmates and know when to get help.

• Small, frequent sips beat large gulps when you feel sick.
• Avoid juice and fizzy drinks; ask a pharmacist about rehydration sachets.
• Stay away from university or work until 48 hours after the last episode.
• Not keeping fluids down, blood in vomit or stools, or confusion means getting help.

6. Headaches and migraines

Most headaches come from everyday things like too little water, too much screen time, skipped meals or stress, all of which become more likely when you are studying hard on your own. Learn the simple fixes and the few signs that are serious.

• Water, food, sleep and screen breaks prevent many headaches.
• Treat migraine early and rest in a dark room.
• Frequent painkiller use can cause more headaches.
• A sudden, extremely painful headache is an emergency.

7. Period pain and menstrual health

For many students who have periods, managing them without family nearby is a new responsibility. This lesson gives factual, practical information so you know what is normal, what helps and when to see a doctor. Everyone can benefit from understanding it, including to support friends and flatmates.

• Cycles of 21 to 35 days are common.
• Heat, gentle movement and simple painkillers help most period pain.
• Pain that stops daily life or heavy bleeding deserves a doctor's visit.
• Follow product instructions and know the signs of toxic shock syndrome.

8. Skin problems: acne, rashes and sunburn

A new climate, new water, stress and different products can all change your skin when you move away. Most skin problems are minor and can be managed with simple care and a pharmacist's help; a few need a doctor quickly.

• Gentle cleansing beats scrubbing; never squeeze spots.
• New products and detergents are common rash triggers.
• Cool, cover and hydrate sunburn; do not use ice or pop blisters.
• Swelling of the lips or tongue, or a rash that does not fade under a glass, is an emergency.

9. Red flags: sepsis, meningitis and when to get urgent help

Almost every illness you have as a student will be minor. But two serious conditions, sepsis and meningitis, can start like flu, and living alone means nobody else may notice. Knowing a handful of warning signs, and acting fast, can save a life, including a friend's.

• Sepsis and meningitis can start like flu; trust your instincts.
• Confusion, very fast breathing, blotchy skin or a non-fading rash need emergency help.
• Not everyone gets a rash; do not wait for one.
• Call an ambulance; do not drive yourself or a seriously ill friend.

10. Recovering and catching up on your studies

Getting better is only half the job. You also need to tell the right people, protect your marks and ease back into life without making yourself ill again. This lesson covers the admin and the habits that get you back on track.

• Tell your tutor or employer early and in writing.
• Know your university's circumstances process and its deadlines.
• Keep simple evidence while you are ill.
• Return gradually, and catch up by priority, not panic.

Talk about it, then try it

The real-life practice tasks from each lesson. Pick one or two a week and agree when you will check in.

1. Being ill on your own: make a sick-day plan before you need it
   • Write your sick-day plan this week: numbers, buddy, medical basics and where your kit is. Save it on your phone and print one copy.
   • Ask one friend to be your illness buddy and agree your check-in signal.
   • Fill in the emergency medical information on your phone (allergies, medicines, emergency contact).
2. Your medicine cabinet and first aid kit
   • Make a checklist from this lesson and tick off what you already have; buy the rest in one trip.
   • Check every medicine you own for its expiry date and active ingredient. Take expired ones to a pharmacy.
   • Choose a cool, dry drawer for your kit and tell your buddy where it is.
3. Using over-the-counter medicines safely
   • Take every painkiller and cold remedy you own and write down its active ingredient and maximum dose in 24 hours.
   • Set up a medicine log note on your phone with columns for time, medicine and dose.
   • Next time you are in a pharmacy, ask the pharmacist one question about a medicine you use.
4. Colds, flu, sore throats and fever
   • Practise taking your temperature with your thermometer while well, so you know your normal reading.
   • Make a 'cold kit' bag: tissues, lozenges, salt for gargling, honey and tea, kept with your medicines.
   • Write down the three NHS signs that mean a cold or flu needs a doctor, and add them to your sick-day plan.
5. Stomach bugs, food poisoning and dehydration
   • Buy one box of oral rehydration sachets and keep it in your kit.
   • Agree with your flatmates a simple rule for illness in the flat: who cleans shared surfaces, and that the ill person does not cook for others.
   • Learn the signs of dehydration and add them to your sick-day plan.
6. Headaches and migraines
   • For one week, note any headache, what you were doing, what you ate and drank, and how much sleep you had.
   • Set a reminder on your laptop to take a 5-minute screen break and drink water every hour while studying.
   • Add the headache red flags to your sick-day plan.
7. Period pain and menstrual health
   • If you have periods, start tracking them in an app or a simple calendar for three months, including pain and how heavy they are.
   • Put a heat pad or hot water bottle, painkillers and spare products in your kit and bag.
   • Find out how to book with a female doctor or nurse at your new surgery or clinic, if that matters to you.
8. Skin problems: acne, rashes and sunburn
   • Check the ingredients of your current face wash and moisturiser: are they labelled as not blocking pores?
   • Put a sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher with 4-star UVA by the door and in your bag.
   • Practise the glass test on your own arm so you know how normal skin looks under pressure.
9. Red flags: sepsis, meningitis and when to get urgent help
   • Practise the glass test on your own skin and on a friend's palm, so you know what you are looking for.
   • Write the sepsis and meningitis emergency signs on a card or in your phone notes, next to your sick-day plan.
   • Find out your university's security number and add it to your phone.
10. Recovering and catching up on your studies
    • Find your university's mitigating or extenuating circumstances page and note the deadline for a claim.
    • Draft and save a template email to your tutor for when you are ill.
    • Create a 'missed work' checklist template you can copy whenever you lose a few days.

Quiz

Name: ______________________ Date: ____________ Circle one answer for each question.

Answer key

1. A: Living alone, nobody checks on you automatically; a buddy who checks in and raises the alarm if you go quiet fills that gap.
2. C: u.ae lists 998 for ambulance, 999 for police and 997 for the fire department (Civil Defence).
3. D: NHS: use a digital thermometer; do not use glass or infrared thermometers or forehead strips.
4. B: NHS medicine cabinet guidance: they replace lost fluids and salts but do not treat the underlying cause.
5. B: NHS: avoid taking paracetamol with other paracetamol-containing medicines, such as cold and flu remedies, because you may take too much.
6. B: NHS Paracetamol for adults: leave at least 4 hours between doses.
7. C: NHS Flu: flu appears quickly and affects more than the nose and throat; a cold builds over 1 to 2 days.
8. C: NHS: antibiotics do not work for viral infections such as colds and flu.
9. B: NHS Diarrhoea and vomiting: stay off until you have not been sick or had diarrhoea for at least 2 days.
10. C: NHS: drink plenty of fluids, taking small sips if you feel sick.
11. C: NHS Headaches: common causes include skipping meals and dehydration.
12. D: NHS Migraine: rest in a dark room and take painkillers as soon as the headache starts.
13. A: NHS Periods: about every 28 days, but anywhere from 21 to 35 days is common.
14. B: NHS Period pain: a heat pad or hot water bottle on your tummy, warm baths and gentle exercise can help.
15. C: NHS Acne: do not pick or squeeze spots, as this can cause scars.
16. C: NHS Acne: a pharmacist can recommend products with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
17. C: NHS Sepsis: call 999 or go to A&E if someone is confused, has slurred speech or is not making sense.
18. B: NHS Meningitis: a rash that does not fade when you press the side of a clear glass firmly against the skin is a warning sign.
19. D: Early written notice protects you and makes any later claim or extension easier.
20. A: GOV.UK: no fit note is needed for 7 days or less; after more than 7 days in a row a fit note is needed.

General information only, written from the sources listed in each online lesson. Laws, numbers and services change, so check official sources. Life-Ready Society, https://lifereadysociety.com/minor-illness/