What to Do When You’re Sick: A Holistic and Conventional Guide for Adults

Acute Illness in Adults

When experiencing an acute illness, it’s important to understand that your body is working to cleanse itself of toxins and restore balance. Symptoms like fever, cough, and fatigue are often part of this natural process. Rather than rushing to suppress these symptoms with medication, it’s beneficial to support your body in its healing efforts. Many acute illnesses are not caused by infections and do not necessarily require antibiotics. By focusing on rest, hydration, and nutrition, you can often recover more effectively without unnecessary interventions.

When sick, it’s important to follow this mantra: “Do less, stimulate less, speak less, and eat less. Drink more, sleep more, rest more, and breathe more.” Your body needs time and energy to heal, and the best way to support this process is by slowing down and prioritizing recovery. Here’s what you should do:

1. Stop Your Daily Routine: Put a pause on your usual activities, including work, exercise, and social engagements. Your body needs rest, and continuing with your normal schedule can prolong recovery and worsen symptoms.
2. Minimize Stimulation: Avoid excess stimulation from screens, loud noises, and unnecessary conversations. Watching TV, checking emails, or scrolling through social media can exhaust your mind and body. Instead, opt for quiet, calming activities like reading a light book or meditating.
3. Rest and Sleep More: Rest is your body’s primary tool for healing. Make sleep a priority, aiming for 8-10 hours or more if possible. Lie down frequently throughout the day and listen to your body’s signals, giving yourself breaks as needed. Take naps throughout out the day if you need.
4. Reduce Mental and Physical Effort: Speak less, reduce decision-making tasks, and minimize physical activities like chores or errands. Keep things simple and allow your body to conserve energy for healing.
5. Eat Less but Nourish More: When you’re sick, your digestive system often slows down, so don’t force yourself to eat heavy meals. Instead, focus on light, nutrient-rich options like soups, broths, and soft fruits. Avoid foods that can cause inflammation or stress, such as dairy, sugar, and fried items.
6. Drink More Fluids: Hydration is critical to recovery. Sip on water, herbal teas, broths, and clear soups throughout the day to stay hydrated. This helps flush toxins from your system and prevents dehydration, which can make symptoms worse.
7. Create a Calm Environment: Turn down the lights and reduce noise levels in your space. A peaceful environment promotes relaxation and helps your nervous system recover. Close the curtains, play soft music if it’s comforting, and reduce any potential sources of stress or distraction.
8. Breathe More: Practice deep breathing exercises to promote relaxation and improve oxygen flow to your cells. Taking slow, deep breaths can help calm your mind and body, supporting your immune system as it works to heal.

By following these steps, you allow your body to focus its energy on recovery rather than unnecessary tasks. The more you prioritize rest and minimize physical and mental exertion, the faster your body can heal from illness.

Conventional Treatment

1. Rest: Rest is vital. Give your body the time it needs to recover, and prioritize sleep and relaxation over daily activities.
2. Hydration: Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. Water, herbal teas, and broths are especially helpful. Avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks, which can dehydrate you.
3. Over-the-Counter Medications:
   • Fever & Pain Relief: Use acetaminophen  or ibuprofen to reduce fever and alleviate body aches.
   • Cough Suppressants & Expectorants: If you have a cough, medications can be helpful.
   • Decongestants: If you’re experiencing nasal congestion, decongestants can provide relief.

Holistic Treatement

1. Oscillococcinum: Consider taking oscillococcinum at the first sign of flu-like symptoms. This homeopathic remedy may reduce the duration and severity of symptoms when taken early in the illness.
2. Elderberry Syrup: Elderberry is believed to boost immune function and reduce the duration of cold and flu symptoms.
3. Steam Inhalation for Stuffy Nose:
   • Boil water and place a towel over your head while you inhale the steam to clear your nasal passages. Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil for enhanced relief.
   • You can also use a steam inhaler for more targeted relief from nasal congestion.
4. Herbal Teas:
   • Ginger Tea: Anti-inflammatory and soothing, ginger tea can help with both nausea and congestion.
   • Chamomile Tea: Chamomile promotes relaxation, helps with sleep, and soothes sore throats.
5. Steam Baths or Showers:
   • Epsom Salt Soak: Take a warm bath with Epsom salts to relieve muscle aches and reduce inflammation. Add essential oils like lavender or eucalyptus to further enhance relaxation.
   • Shower Tabs: Use products like Aura Cacia shower tabs, which release essential oils in the steam, providing relief for nasal congestion while creating a calming environment.
6. Probiotics & Vitamins: Support your immune system with probiotics, vitamin C, and zinc. These supplements can help strengthen your body’s defenses and aid in recovery.
7. Essential oils: are highly concentrated plant extracts known for their therapeutic properties, making them a natural way to support healing and well-being, especially when sick. They contain active compounds that promote relaxation, relieve discomfort, and aid the body’s healing processes. By interacting with the body’s systems, essential oils can help ease respiratory issues, reduce stress, and strengthen the immune system. When used properly, they offer a gentle, holistic approach to complement traditional treatments and improve overall health.Essential oils can be administered in several effective ways:
   • Topically: Apply essential oils directly to the skin, but always dilute them with a carrier oil like jojoba or coconut oil to prevent irritation. Applying oils to the soles of the feet is especially beneficial for absorption, as the larger pores on the feet allow the oils to enter the bloodstream quickly, providing fast and effective relief.
   • Inhalation: This can be done through:
     • Diffusing: Use a diffuser to disperse the oil’s scent throughout a room.
     • Palm inhalation: Rub a small amount of diluted essential oil on your palms, cup your hands over your nose, and breathe deeply.

   Holistic Caution:

   It’s important never to ingest essential oils. Due to their high potency, ingestion can lead to serious health problems, including liver, kidney, and digestive damage. Essential oils should only be used externally or through inhalation for safe and effective results.

   Examples of Essential Oils for Sickness:

   • Eucalyptus Oil: Helps clear nasal and chest congestion.
   • Peppermint Oil: Relieves headaches, eases sinus congestion, and helps reduce fevers.
   • Oregano Oil: Boosts the immune system and has natural antibacterial properties.
   • Lavender Oil: Promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and supports better sleep.
   • Tea Tree Oil: Has antiviral and antibacterial properties, useful for treating cold sores, congestion, and minor infections.
   • Lemon Oil: Helps purify the air, supports the immune system, and can reduce cold symptoms.
   • Thyme Oil: Known for its antiviral and antibacterial properties, it can help relieve respiratory infections and coughs.
   • Ginger Oil: Eases nausea and digestive issues, often helpful during the flu or stomach sickness.

Nutrition While Sick

Your diet is a key factor in how quickly you recover. By following the right nutrition principles, you can support your body’s healing process.

• Starve a Cold, Feed a Fever:
  • Starve a Cold: When experiencing a cold, your appetite may decrease. Focus on broths and juices to stay hydrated while still providing your body with essential nutrients. Clear broths like chicken or vegetable broth, as well as freshly squeezed juices, are ideal.
  • Feed a Fever: If you have a fever, your body is burning more energy to fight off the illness. Eat nutritious, energy-dense foods like soups, fruits, and vegetables to provide the energy your body needs to recover.
• BRAT Diet: If you are experiencing digestive issues, such as nausea or diarrhea, consider following the BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast). These bland, easy-to-digest foods can help settle your stomach and give your digestive system a break.
• Avoid Dairy Products: When sick, especially if you have respiratory symptoms, it’s best to avoid dairy. Dairy can sometimes thicken mucus and worsen congestion, prolonging discomfort.
• Soups and Broths: Warm, nutritious soups and broths, such as chicken soup, are easy to digest, hydrating, and can help reduce inflammation. Chicken soup is particularly beneficial for soothing congestion and providing essential nutrients.
• Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: Include fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamins and antioxidants, such as oranges, berries, spinach, and carrots, to support your immune system.
• Small, Frequent Meals: If your appetite is low, opt for smaller, more frequent meals to keep your energy levels up without overwhelming your digestive system.

Fever: A Natural Healing Process

Fever is your body’s natural way of fighting infection and eliminating toxins. Rather than focusing on reducing the fever, it’s important to understand that fever helps your body cleanse itself and recover.

• Warm Baths: Take warm baths throughout the day to help your body sweat. This can help regulate your temperature and make you feel more comfortable. You can add Epsom salts, baking soda, or essential oils like lavender or chamomile for added relaxation.
• Wet Sock Treatment: After a warm bath, try the wet sock treatment: put on a pair of wet, cool, cotton socks, followed by dry wool socks, and go to bed. This treatment helps stimulate circulation and supports the body’s healing process.
• Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, such as water and herbal teas, to stay hydrated. Make sure your urine is clear or light yellow, as this indicates proper hydration.
• Monitor Your Symptoms: While fever is a normal part of illness, it’s important to stay in tune with how you’re feeling overall. Focus on how you feel rather than the number on the thermometer.

When to Seek Medical Attention

While many acute illnesses can be managed at home with rest and proper care, there are times when medical attention is necessary. Many illnesses do not require antibiotics, a healthcare provider can help determine if further intervention is needed. Seek help from a healthcare provider if you experience any of the following:

• Persistent high fever (over 102°F) lasting more than 48 hours.
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
• Severe chest pain or pressure in your chest.
• Confusion or difficulty staying awake.
• Signs of dehydration, such as dry mouth, dark urine, or little to no urine output.
• Persistent vomiting or inability to keep fluids down for more than 24 hours.
• If your symptoms worsen instead of improving after a few days.

Remember, your body needs time to heal. By taking care of yourself through rest, hydration, and proper nutrition, and knowing when to seek medical care, you can promote faster recovery and prevent complications.