Ways To Reduce Fever

Fever is a common sign of illness characterised by increased body temperature. The following recommendations are often helpful in caring for someone with fever and for bringing down the temperature.

Take over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. It is important to follow the recommended dosage and avoid these medications with other fever reducing medications. Extra precaution should be taken while administering these medications to children and infants. It is advised to consult a physician before giving fever reducing medication to children or adults with other medical conditions to avoid complications.

Taking a bath in lukewarm water can help in bringing down the temperature. Cold water bath should be avoided, as it may send blood rushes to the internal organs and worsen the condition. Sponge bath and cool sponging over armpits and groin can also help in lowering the temperature. Placing cold damp washcloth over the forehead and back of the neck is also helpful.

Drinking a cup of warm yarrow tea can help in opening up the pore to promote sweating and thus bring down the fever. Other herbal tea such as elderflower tea and ginger tea also provides comfort during fever.

Adding spices to food, such as cayenne pepper and pepper promotes blood circulation and sweating. These spices contain a component called as capsaicin which helps in bringing down the temperature by sweating. However, too much of spices can also lead to inflammation of the stomach and hence, should be avoided. Also it is important to check with your doctor if it is okay to eat spicy food when having fever because if the fever is due to some stomach or intestinal infection then eating spicy food may complicate the condition further.

The wet sock treatment is an age old remedy which is used to break a fever. This procedure is done by first soaking the feet in warm water and then wearing a pair of thin socks soaked in cold water. Putting in a dry wool soaks over the wet socks is also helpful. This works by drawing blood to the feet and thus helps in increasing the blood circulation. Besides this, one can try soaking feet in water with mustard powder, which helps in increasing blood circulation.

In olden days, patients with fever were wrapped in a sheet soaked in cold water. However, this method is controversial as doctors today advise against lowering the body temperature too quickly. Keeping this in mind, the wet sheet is covered with a blanket or thick towel for about 15 minutes. Unwrap the patient when the sheet starts to warm up.

It is very important to ensure that the patient with fever is well hydrated. He or she should be given plenty of water and other fluids to drink to avoid dehydration. Sports drinks such as Gatorade are also helpful in rehydration and in replacing lost minerals. Fruit juices such as orange juice and grape juice provides vitamins and minerals in addition to hydration.

If the fever does not improve in 48 hours and does not lower with the above mentioned recommendations, or if the temperature is above 103 F, he or she should be taken to the hospital at the earliest. Fever associated with other symptoms should not be neglected and may indicate presence of serious conditions.

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