How to Hide a Sickness

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Keeping your cold or other illness a secret

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Last Updated: December 1, 2023 Approved

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Hiding Symptoms

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Looking Healthy

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Keeping Others Safe

If you’re not feeling well, it can be more convenient to avoid letting other people know that you’re sick. The most direct way to do this is to hide any obvious symptoms you have and to do your best to look healthy. We'll show you how to mask your symptoms, look healthy, and keep those around you safe all the while. That said, avoid hiding any contagious illnesses; see a doctor and stay home to keep others healthy.

Things You Should Know

Lie low at home while you recover and treat yourself with plenty of water, proper medication, and lots of rest.
Find a private place to let out more obvious symptoms like a sniffly nose, coughing, or nausea.
Avoid excess talking or movement to keep a low profile and prevent your symptoms from visibly flaring

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Hiding Symptoms

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1
Take steps in secret to take care of yourself while you’re recovering. Get as much rest as you can and drink lots of fluids. Avoid working too hard or eating anything that would make you feel sick. Just make sure family members don't see you doing things you don't normally do in order to make yourself better. ^{[1]
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American Academy of Family Physicians
Organization devoted to improving the health of patients, families, and communities
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- Taking care of yourself is the best way to get better as quickly as possible. This will make it easier for you to hide your sickness in the long term.
- For example, when getting extra rest, don't make it obvious. Don't announce to everyone that you are going to bed early, and don't mention taking naps if you don't normally.
- If eating makes you feel sick, don't eat much but don't specifically say you aren't hungry or anything about not eating. Most likely, no one will ask about your eating habits.
- Don't force yourself to be more active than you should be in order to not raise suspicion. You may be tempted to fight through it, but this will make you sicker and will probably result in people discovering you're sick.
2
Use cold medicine to prevent yourself from coughing or sneezing. These are usually the most obvious signs of being sick, so take over-the-counter medicines in secret to avoid doing them in front of people. Be sure to closely follow the medicine’s dosage instructions to be safe. If you’re too young to buy cold medicine or you simply can’t take it, try one of these natural alternatives: ^{[2]
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American Academy of Family Physicians
Organization devoted to improving the health of patients, families, and communities
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- Gargle salt water (in private, of course) to soothe a sore throat.
- Drink tea with honey in it to soothe your throat and prevent coughing.
- Eat chicken soup to restore your energy and soothe your throat.
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3
Minimize those symptoms that you can’t completely hide from others. If it's impossible to hide a symptom–like a cough–in your work or school environment, focus on making it less bothersome or obvious. Remove yourself to a less visible place to take care of your symptoms in the short term. ^{[3]
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- For example, if you’re noticeably sniffling from a runny nose, go to a nearby restroom and blow your nose to keep yourself from sniffling for a little while.
- If you think you might throw up, be ready to go to the bathroom fairly quickly. Doing something like vomiting on the floor will instantly give you away and be awkward.
4
Refrain from talking as much as you can if your voice is raspy. Don't voluntarily start conversations and try to respond to other people with short phrases. Your voice may be working in the short term, but if you've had problems with it, it may start glitching as you talk more. ^{[4]
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- You should especially avoid starting any fights. Yelling is a quick way to absolutely kill your voice, so don't talk about anything that might anger someone and warrant an argument.
- Sometimes coughing once will take your voice away, but coughing again will bring it back sounding normal. You often will just know if your voice is going to work or not depending on how your throat feels, so try clearing your throat or coughing before speaking if you have to talk.
5
Go to the doctor if your symptoms are so intense you can’t hide them. More intense symptoms, such as a fever above 102 °F (39 °C), trouble breathing, or chest pains, may be signs of a very serious illness. If this is the case, tell a parent (if you are a child) or call your doctor, even if it means telling people you're sick. ^{[5]
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National Health Service (UK)
Public healthcare system of the UK
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- Only try to hide being sick if you both really need to and think it's possible. If your reasons don't involve needing to do something, think hard about them, because having people know you're sick is not always as bad as you expect it will be.
Warning : During the COVID-19 pandemic, don't try to hide any illness. Stay home, use good hygiene, and consult a doctor to see if you need a test or medical treatment.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Looking Healthy

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1
Apply moisturizer to give your face a healthy, dewy complexion. Pat a small amount of moisturizer to your face to keep your skin from looking dry or flakey. For best results, go with a moisturizer especially designed for sensitive skin and packed with healthy nutrients. ^{[6]
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- You can also add a few drops of replenishing oil to your moisturizer to add even more nourishment to your skin.
2
Use a vitamin-packed face mask to give your skin a healthy glow. For best results, go with an exfoliating face mask that also contains antioxidants. This is best if you have a dull or pallid complexion as a result of being sick. ^{[7]
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- Your best bet will be to use a face mask that specifically says “infused with vitamins” or “with advanced antioxidants” on the front label.
3
Curl your eyelashes to make your eyes look less tired. Fanned out eyelashes make your eyes look bigger and brighter. This is especially helpful if you can’t help but look tired from your illness. ^{[8]
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- If your eyelashes aren’t very long, you can also use mascara on the lower lashes to make your eyes look bigger.
4
Apply a cold compress in the morning to make your face look less puffy. First, splash some cool water on your face if you wake up with a puffy face. Then, sit with a cold compress over your face for 15-30 minutes before beginning the rest of your morning routine. ^{[9]
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- Drinking plenty of water to stay rehydrating will also help make your face less puffy.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Keeping Others Safe

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1
Avoid going to school or work when at all possible. People stay home when they're sick for a reason; you may be able to brave the world when sick, but you also may not. If you are hiding your sickness for other reasons, decide if your reasons are worth being miserable all day while out of the house. Some key indicators that you probably should stay home are: ^{[10]
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- Fever, particularly over 103 °F (39 °C).
- Throwing up, particularly within the last 24 hours.
- A terrible and frequent cough that would disrupt everyone and would prevent you from doing what you do normally.
- Having a job that requires physical labor, or having PE at school that involves heavier exercise.
- Any illness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2
Exercise good hygiene to avoid getting your family members sick. If your family members don't know you're sick, they are not going to take any extra precautions and as a result you need to. Plus, your family members may become angry if they find out they got sick from you and you were hiding your illness. ^{[11]
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- For example, even if a family member says they don't care about sharing a cup, don't let them drink out of yours to avoid raising suspicion or because it doesn't really affect you.
- Wash your hands frequently. Before touching anything anyone else in the house might touch, wash your hands. Wash them before eating, etc. If you think your family will notice, wash them in a bathroom sink or somewhere they won't hear.
- Don't do chores or work that may cause your family members to be exposed to your germs. If it's your responsibility to cook a meal or set the table, for example, find a non-sickness-related excuse in order to not do it. Your family may be annoyed, but know you're doing it for them.
3
Keep to yourself as much as you can without it being noticeable. This does sound sad, but the truth is that the more time you spend with people or in the open areas of your house, the more time others will have to notice you are ill. Until you're feeling better, it's usually a good idea to spend all the time you can in your room alone. ^{[12]
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- This is also good for your health, as hours of quiet reading are more restful than playing games in a hectic living room.
- Note that you don't have to sit alone or ignore your friends, just don't go out of your way to initiate conversations. If you can choose to work alone or in a group, choose to be alone when you can.
Don't be over-the-top about this; most people will not feel the temperature of your skin from a quick high-five or hug. However, avoid letting people touch your direct skin, especially your face. Even someone holding your hand could notice a higher body temperature. ^{[13]
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How to Hide a Sickness

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Hiding Symptoms

Looking Healthy

Keeping Others Safe

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