Feed a cold, starve a fever? Or is it the other way around? Whichever it is, most of us have heard this old wives’ tale that dates back to 1574 from the original “Fasting is a great remedie of feuer” which means “fasting is a great remedy for a fever.â€
Whichever it is, there is no truth to either. Some people can eat when they are feeling ill and others simply cannot. Some believe in grandma’s chicken soup, which has some medical merit, as it has been found that chicken soup helps to thin mucous and clear up nasal congestion.
Drinking tea is also a favourite remedy, as hot tea ensures proper hydration of the body and also helps to thin mucous. Both green and black tea contain powerful antioxidants which will fight the fever.
Other remedies range from eating foods rich in beta-carotene to eating foods rich in vitamin C and vitamin E as all of these contain antioxidants. Foods rich in bioflavonoids are also recommended because they build the immune system and act as antioxidants.
Drink Pure Water for a Fever
By far the best way to combat a fever such as the one you get with influenza is to drink pure water. The flu, as it is more commonly called is a virus that attacks the cells of the respiratory tract; it actually utilises the reproductive system of the cells in the respiratory tract to reproduce itself.
Influenza affects the lungs, which become filled with mucous, making breathing very difficult. This can lead to chills, fever, aching muscles, shivering and a sore body. A fever makes you sweat a lot, which means that you are losing more water than normal and stand a good chance of becoming dehydrated if you do not replace the lost fluids. You will also lose bodily fluids if you have diarrhoea or experience vomiting while ill.
Drinking water is the best, quickest and healthiest way to replace the lost fluids and maintain the balance of bodily fluids. It is important though that you ensure that the water you drink is pure and does not contain toxins that may make you even more ill.
Drinking water that is chilled will also help to cool you down and keep you comfortable. Drinking water will also ensure that your blood pressure does not drop, which can become dangerous. The only problem with this remedy is that you may not be able to keep sufficient water chilled to satisfy your thirst.
A good way to ensure that the water that you are drinking to replace lost fluids from a fever is pure, chilled and great-tasting is to invest in a water cooler. There are many styles of water coolers available, and you are sure to find either a bottled water cooler (some of them are even filled with spring water) or a mains water cooler to suit your needs and budget.
Water coolers re capable of dispensing chilled water virtually non-stop 24/7, so you will definitely have an ample supply of pure drinking water to drink and rehydrate with by investing in one.
If you have a fever, forget everything else and drink water, and lots of it!
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