Or was it starve a fever and feed a cold? Is it chicken soup, or pile on more blankets? What’s a mother to do when someone gets sick? We get all kinds of advice from well meaning sources. But sometimes it’s best to listen to our own common sense and instincts.
If someone has a fever their body is showing a reaction to its battle with an infection. If the fever is just slight (below 101 degrees) you really don’t need to do anything. When it gets higher than that it’s advisable to try and gently bring it down.
The higher the fever the more you are losing fluids and becoming dehydrated. You’ll also look and feel sicker the higher it goes. You don’t necessarily need a four course dinner, but you do need plenty of extra fluids. Drink as much clear, water like, substances as you can tolerate. Going without eating when you’re sick is generally a bad idea. You may need to stop temporarily for nausea and vomiting, but you need to start sipping fluids again as soon as you can. If you give your body extra fluids and nutrients while it’s battling illness it can battle better and faster than if you starved it.
Trying to bundle up and “keep the heat in” or “burn off a fever” doesn’t help you get better any faster and can make you feel worse. It’s not the fever itself that is fighting the infection; fever is just an announcement of the war going on. When you’re hot, do your instincts tell you to put on more clothes? No! They say jump in the pool or stand in front of the fan. Work to gently bring the fever down with a warm -not hot- bath, cool washcloths and medications as directed by your doctor (usually Tylenol, or Ibuprofin).
What about a cold? These you just have to wait out. Treat the symptoms and help yourself feel better that way, but don’t expect Aunt May’s miracle cure-all chicken soup to fix it by tomorrow. Actually, chicken soup isn’t a bad idea. It can’t cure you, but it does help with giving you the extra fluids you need and the warmth sooths sore throats and helps sinuses drain.
So the next time you or someone you love gets sick, don’t try to remember whether you were supposed to feed or starve a cold, just let your instincts take over. Think fluids and comfort and you’ll be providing the best care possible.
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