Caring for the Ill
Winter weather and the flu season hit our town early last weekend. Along with the snow it seems as though half of the people I know (including myself) are coming down with “flu-like symptoms”. Our neighbor who works at the university hospital tested positive for H1N1 so I am thinking that it is most likely what we are dealing with at this point. I have been listening to many people talk about the sickness in their homes this week and realized how few people really know how to take care of someone who is sick. I suppose it is because we live in a “pop this pill and get back to work” society that people have lost this skill but given that this particular flu season we are being encouraged to stay home and get well, I thought I would share how we care for an illness in our home.
Environment
The room in which you are caring for your “patient” should be around 70 degrees and free from drafts. The air should be kept moist and purified. Generally we use one of those steam humidifiers with the vapo-rub well for this purpose. I put eucalyptus oil in the well and run the steamer constantly keeping the door to the “sick room” closed. I also make an anti-microbial aromatherapy spray which we spray in the air and on the bedding occasionally. This also serves the purpose of stopping illness from spreading to other people.
The room should be quiet, restful and free from too much distraction so that your “patient” can get the extra sleep they need. Even if they aren’t sleeping, you should encourage them to rest by listen to relaxing music or perhaps an audio book.
If the patient is sweating profusely, you should change the bedding and clothing frequently. With the little ones, I have them lay on a soft bath towel that I can switch out occasionally. I also have a stack of handkerchiefs nearby. I prefer to use those to cover my mouth when I sneeze or cough rather than coughing on my clothing. These can easily be thrown into the wash with the bedding and bedclothes to be sanitized.
Diet
Someone who is sick with the flu should immediately avoid uncooked dairy, cold food and juices, soy, sugar (including fruits really high in sugar such as oranges) as these foods tend to create more mucous in your body. Coffee, cigarettes, alcohol or other items that contain substances which would stress your body should also be avoided. I would like to think that it goes without saying that foods with preservatives, food dyes, high fructose corn syrup, etc. should also be avoided but it is probably best to throw that out there as well. I don’t care what your mother said about warm Sprite, soda is not good for sick people. It isn’t even good for people who are well.
You should keep a thermos of warm lemonade or a nice peppermint tea by the bedside. You could even serve vegetable broth as a drink. It is very important that liquids are replenished to avoid dehydration (3-6 quarts daily) but it is also important that these liquids be nourishing as it may be the only thing your patient feels like taking in. Soups are a good source of nutrition and liquid but keep them light and simple. Miso soup, chicken-rice soup or vegetable-lentil soup are nice choices.
Monitoring Patient
It is a good idea to take regular temperature checks and possibly even check your patient’s pulse periodically. Pay attention to how much liquid your patient is taking in and whether or not they are eating. It isn’t an awful idea to jot this info down on a sheet of paper along with a record of when you are giving medications just in case you need the information later.
Support Therapies
Keep the patient warm. The chills that you often experience with a fever are due to the fact that your hypothalamus is causing your body to respond as though your body temperature has lowered. You start to shiver and your body temperature increases creating an unstable environment for the viruses in your body. This is just one of your body’s natural defense mechanisms.
I make rice bags from flannel and wool scraps to be kept in the freezer and used as cold packs on the forehead and feet during a fever. They can also be heated and used as a warm pack for an aching ear or sore muscles.
Use the following massage oil on the temples and the neck to help soothe a headache or cool a fever. It can be used as a body massage as well.
Peppermint Massage Oil
10 drops of peppermint essential oil
½ cup carrier oil such as olive oil or sweet almond
In the Gladstar course, Rosemary recommends two warm baths daily for those suffering from the flu. I probably take more like three or four depending on how I am feeling. I like to add 1/2 a cup of the following bath salts to the tub; they help ease aches and pains, and clear the nasal passages. Baths also help with hydration because your skin will absorb liquid.
Winter Cold Bath Salts
1 cup Epsom salts
1 cup bath salts or coarse sea salt
10 drops rosemary essential oil
10 drops eucalyptus essential oil
