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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click the pic
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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!