 | Nutritional Requirements Needed To Treat Fever
  If, after every precaution, you still get sick and contract the common cold virus or influenza (flu), do not try to maintain your normal routine, also there are a few nutritional requirements needed to treat fever. Even if you feel only mildly indisposed, you are shedding infectious material and will do everyone a favor if you stay home for the first few days. Check your temperature two or three times a day —preferably morning, noon and evening, at the same hours each day—and keep a log of the times and readings. The log allows you to chart the course of the disease and spot the warning signs of any complications.
If an adult’s temperature runs above normal for more than three days, if it reverts to near normal and then soars several days later, or if it goes above 102°, call a physician; high or prolonged fever could indicate a secondary infection that requires professional care. If you have a temperature over 105°, breathing difficulty, severe chest pain or rust-colored mucus, get medical attention immediately—from an emergency room if your personal doctor is unavailable.
The treatment of flu symptoms begins with complete, uncompromising bed rest, which ensures that all available energies are directed toward fighting the infection. If the fever causes great discomfort, headaches or muscle aches, control it with aspirin or an aspirin substitute for an adult, a substitute alone for children. If normal doses of painkiller do not help, call a physician. | Most Popular Common Cold And Flu ArticlesHow Does The Common Cold Affect Your Body Palpitations And Need To Cough Cough With Frothy White Sputum Types Of Rheumatic Heart Fever Pain Constant Low Grade Fever Nutritional Requirements Needed To Treat Fever Flu Symptoms With Neck And Back Pain And Muscle Aches Who Discovered Influenza Is Canada Ready For A Pandemic Influenza | |
| To counteract the dehydration brought on by fever, drink lots of fluids, as much as eight ounces of hot or warm nonalcoholic beverages every two hours; a child should drink every 30 minutes, since smaller amounts are consumed. Alcoholic beverages are dangerous; they interact with aspirin and aggravate dehydration.
Smoking should be stopped altogether. Flu viruses strip away layers of cells from the respiratory tract, exposing wounded tissue that smoking irritates easily. If the cough and nasal congestion are pronounced, try the over-the-counter cold preparations described in Chapter 3, with one important exception: A productive cough—one that is bringing up mucus—should not be treated with cough suppressants, because such a cough is essential to keep fluid and bacteria out of the lungs.
Perhaps the best treatment of all for mild flu is psychological. Depression often accompanies the first few days of illness, particularly in people who hate to abandon their normal routine. A cheerful sickroom, soft lighting that will not hurt irritated eyes, and nutritious food treats and beverages help the time pass more comfortably. If sweating is profuse, a cool wipe-down with water or alcohol, followed by fresh bedclothes and linens, gives a tremendous lift to depressed spirits.
Gradual resumption of normal activities should begin no sooner than one full day after body temperature has returned to normal. That period will give you time to be sure that the favorable signs are genuine. Too often people who leap up from their beds prematurely suffer a relapse later, or contract a serious bacterial infection. Even when you are circumspect in the use of your reduced energies after flu, do not be surprised if you need extra sleep and rest for a few weeks. If you are accustomed to exercising strenuously, return to your normal routine gradually, since your lungs may have suffered some temporary damage. These are just a few basic nutritional requirements needed to treat fever along with other symptoms of the cold virus. | Twitter About The Common Cold Cure  | | Common Cold Tip Of The Day In January 1976, swine flu a type of influenza that had not afflicted humans for almost 50 years broke out at Fort Dix, New Jersey. |
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