A Healthy Hospital Stay

3 tips to healing quickly after surgery.

By Cynthia Dermody

From Reader's Digest

No one likes being in the hospital. Speed your healing -- and leave sooner -- with the following tips:

Let the light in. In a study, patients in sunny rooms needed fewer painkillers than those in darker ones. Light seems to trigger serotonin release, which may ease pain.
Bring earplugs. Sleep is key for a quick recovery, but hospitals can be noisy -- as loud as jackhammers, says one study. Bring a Walkman or noise-canceling headphones.
Get dressed. If you're moving after surgery, you'll heal faster. A study found post-op patients in their own clothes tended to walk more than folks in hospital gowns. Ask a nurse if you can wear your own togs.
From Reader's Digest - Ocotber 2004

Should Everyone Read This? Yes! I vote for this story

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