Home Remedies For Fever
The normal body temperature is considered 37° C (98.6° F) although it can vary due to different reasons. For instance, body temperatures taken at different locations of the body vary slightly. The oral temperature may be higher than the rectal temperature. The normal body temperature range for babies is between 96.8°F to 98.6°F (36°C to 37°C), and for children is 96.8- 98.24°F, which is almost the same as for adults. Keep a chart handy of these ranges so that you can refer to them when you or your child develops a fever. A baby who has a fever within the range of 100.4°F to 101.3°F is considered to have a high fever and medical intervention should be sought immediately. Fever is an elevation in body temperature. It’s the body’s protective mechanism against infection. The elevation in temperature happens when our immune system is fighting off bacteria and viruses that could harm our body. Fever is our strongest weapon in the fight against infections or diseases. There are times when there are fever symptoms in adults but no fever appears. If you suffer from any of the symptoms listed above, but do not develop a fever, you should contact your doctor who will then recommend more tests to diagnose the actual cause of the problem. It is important to do so, even if you feel better, so as to avoid any health problems later on. It could be that you had a bacterial infection that has not yet cleared up completely. There is also a chance that you could have developed SEPSIS.
Although vigorous exercise, in which the muscles generate heat faster than the body can dissipate, can cause a temporary rise in temperature.
Causes
- In most cases, a fever is caused by an underlying illness or infection. As the immune system fights off an infection, it generates heat, which results in an increased body temperature. In addition, the hypothalamus (which acts as the body’s thermostat) increases the body’s baseline temperature.
- This raised body temperature assists the immune system in ridding the body of illness as the viruses and bacteria that cause them to thrive in cooler environments generally cannot withstand high temperatures. The causes of a fever may range widely from common teething in infants and a bout of flu, to more serious conditions such as pneumonia, glandular fever, sunburn, and heatstroke.
- They may even occur as a result of certain medications including some antibiotics, blood pressure medications, antidepressants, and anti-seizure drugs. It is therefore always important to monitor a fever and seek medical attention if it increases rapidly, or persists so that a correct diagnosis can be achieved.
Tips for Fever
- Make sure you monitor your child’s fever closely. This can be done by checking your child’s temperature at least every 4 hours until it has completely subsided.
- Guard against dehydration by ensuring your child drinks plenty of fluids and make sure these do not contain caffeine.
- A lukewarm bath or sponge bath will help to cool down a high fever but never use cold water or ice.
- Encourage plenty of bed rest as moving around raises body temperature even more. This can be tricky with children that get frustrated when confined to bed, so you may have to think creatively. Try quiet activities such as coloring, game books, books on tape, and playing cards.
- Dress your child in light cotton pajamas so that body heat can escape and do not bundle your child up at bedtime.
Home Remedies For Fever
- Drink as much water as you can in order to replace fluid loss. It will also help to bring down body temperature.
- Rest as much as possible.
- Avoid sudden changes in atmospheric temperatures.
- Avoid eating solid foods until the fever is gone. You can replace the foods by drinking plenty of distilled water and/or juices.
- when you have a fever do not take any supplement containing either iron or zinc. Taking iron causes great tension in a body that is fighting infection, and zinc is not absorbed by the body when you have a fever.
- Take cool baths, fill a bathtub, submerge and lay down for 5′ approximately. Repeat as needed until the fever is down.
- If the fever does not exceed 102 degrees let it run its course. It helps the body to fight infection and eliminate toxins. Eating cumin seeds with jaggery (bellam) cures the fever, which is troubling you for a long time.
- Taking 20 to 40 grams of holy black basil (Krishna Tulsi) leaves juice can cure fever. Holy black basil is a very good natural home remedy for fever treatment.
- Drinking 30 to 80 grams of decoction made with the roots of holy black basil (Krishna tulsi) plant two times in a day can help to cure not only common fever but also cures all types of fever.
- Fever Treatment with Datura
- Eating 3 Datura (Ummetha) seeds three times a day helps to cure fever. Datura is a very good home remedy for fever.
- Boiling root powder in water to prepare a concentrate (1 cup reduced to ½) could be taken, with a little sugar added, daily morning on the empty stomach.
- Prepare sharbat by boiling some tamarind pulp in half a liter of milk and adding some dates, cloves, sugar, cardamoms, and a very little camphor. It lessens the fever.
- Use Peepal leaves as a laxative and tonic. They relieve feverish feelings of coolness.
- The bark of Tamarind acts as an astringent, and a tonic and it reduces fever. Use the bark as a laxative.
- Applying small mustard seed oil to the body is helpful for people who are suffering from dengue fever. Usually, dengue fever affected people suffering from joint pains and pains in the legs and hands.
- When a child has a fever do not give them aspirin, instead, try to reduce the fever with cold baths.
Author: Dr Izharul Hasan
READ MORE:
