ensuring hydration in fever...

 

Image result for dehydration
 

In any infection that presents with fever, people will very often worry a lot about temperature (which may not be the thing we should focus on), and not focus as much as they should on ensuring hydration.  If we have a fever and our pores are open and we're sweating, we're losing fluids.  If, in addition to that​, there is also vomiting or loose stool (which COVID does present with in some), then our fluid loss can escalate significantly.

Along with secondary bacterial infections, dehydration is a serious complication of fever.  While fever itself really is not dangerous (it's an immune response, not an illness), dehydration is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality (a fancy way of saying "sickness and death"). 

Dehydration is serious, especially in children, elders, or those whose health is frail; all of whom experience the effects of even mild dehydration more seriously.  When your body doesn't have enough water, numerous things may present as symptoms.  Your mucous membranes may feel dry (which will inhibit immune responses).  You may notice lowered urinary output.  Extreme thirst may be present, but is often less noticeable when people are stressed out.  Fatigue is common.  Recent studies have shown that even mild dehydration impairs cognitive function, which is incrediby important when relying on self care. If dehydration persists, the body can reach a state it which it can't carry out all its life sustaining processes.  Severe dehydration is dangerous, can escalate quickly, and is best treated in the ER with IV fluids.

The best "treatment" for dehydration is prevention.  One reason to give diaphoretic herbs as hot teas is because hot water is, in itself, diaphoretic: the menstruum in which we're giving the herbs supports and enhances their actions.  Another important reason is that giving herbs in a water base means we're addressing hydration in the main preparation we use to support and encourage a healthy fever response.  Frequent sips of water should also be given along with teas.  Here, at the mention of diaphoretics herbs, I feel I need to clarify that the goal of using diaphoretics is not to "make people sweat".  While sweating is an important way that people release the heat of high fevers, the Physio-Medicalist, William Cook stressed that we are trying to achieve normal moisture of the skin, which will allow it to function effectively.  Don't overshoot the mark by trying to force a big sweat. The big sweat associated with the "breaking" of a fever comes naturally when the infection is overcome; we can't make the infection be overcome by forcing a big sweat while pathogens are still teeming.  This is especially important if someone is showing signs of or risks of dehydration such as copious perspiration, vomiting or loose stools.  There may be times when we do need to encourage sweating, but whenever this is the case, we need to ensure that this is done alongside ensuring hydration.

At a certain point in the dehydration process, just drinking water or teas may not be enough to restore hydration, as electrolyte levels may be dysregulated.  At this point, we need to use electrolyte replacements.  There are all kinds of electrolyte replacement drinks, from Pedialtye to Gatorade to coconut water and all manner of powdered supplements.  I'd like to say here that while, yes, Gatorade is creepy and by no means ideal, if that's available and no other electroltye replacement is, USE IT.  The threat of dehydration is greater than the creepiness of Gatordade or other disturbingly colored or sweet "sports" drinks.  But most people won't need to rely on these, because you can whip up your own homemade mixture with common stuff many people will have in their kitchen.

I often use and suggest a formula found in Aviva Romm's books (I've seen a few variations of this formula in different books she has, so you might find discrepancies in proportions depending on which you're looking at):

1 quart water
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
 2-3 tablespoons sugar, honey, or maple syryp
1 tablespoon lemon juice  

Herbalist Karen Vaughan has a similar recipe:

2 quarts water
 1 teaspoon baking soda
 1 teaspoon salt
7 Tablespoons sugar
 1/2 teaspoon salt substitute (potassium)
1/4 teaspoon ginger

Whichever recipe you follow, the important thing is to be prepared: have these ingredients handy before you need them, so it's easy to create a batch when needed.

Maybe you're wondering: With all the factors involved, just how important is addressing dehydration within the larger scope of viral infections?  Immensely.  During the Ebola outbreak of 2014, the mortality rate ranged from 60-70%.  But in Conakry, Guinea in West Afica it was about 43%.  Why?  Because in Conakry, a standard part of treatment was providing IV fluids to rehydrate ill patients.   Dr. Robert Fowler, a clinician in pandemic and epidemic diseases with the World Health Organization, stated “Our hypothesis has always been that we wanted to establish a culture of very aggressive supportive care for patients who were coming in dehydrated with electrolyte and metabolic abnormalities and try to correct those very early on, so the complications of very severe depletion don’t compound the effects of (in this case Ebola) virus infection.”

Or: if a person is dehydrated it may compromised all their other immune responses and undermine the resilience we need to fight infections.

So, don't just focus on treating symptoms and attacking the pathogen... stay hydrated!

For more information specifically focused on the use of herbs to manage and support the fever response, with special attention given to differentiating which herbs are most appropriate based on presentation and stages of fever, check out the online class I have available at herbcraft.podia.com.  For a limited time (in response to the COVID pandemic), this class is 20% off (the price is already discounted on the page; no coupon code needed).

Check out these offerings here:

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You can also purchase this class as part of the larger course Foundations in Holistic Immunity here.  This series includes sessions on fever, strengthening core immune functions, supporting immune defenses and working with different presentations of upper and lower respiratory issues. 

It's always my goal to make information accessible, insightful and entertaining; something you can put into use to care for yourself and your family.

You can check out other COVID-19 related writings by clicking here.

Be well and stay well!
 

© jim mcdonald

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