Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Cool down
• Part 2 of 3: Adjusting your diet if you have a fever
• Part 3 of 3: Knowing when to seek medical help
• Tips
• Warnings

If you (or your child) have a fever, you naturally want to get rid of it as soon as possible. However, a fever has a purpose: when your body temperature is higher, the immune system is stimulated and inflammatory agents are killed. So that's a good reason to let the fever run its course, at least for a while. You can try to control the fever so that you (or your child) feel a little better while the immune system does its job. Fortunately, there are some home remedies that can help.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Cool down

1. Take a warm or lukewarm bath. Run a warm bath. Have the person with a fever go in and stay until the water temperature drops slowly. Since the temperature gradually decreases, the person in question also cools down slowly.
   • The water should not be too cold, because then the body temperature could drop too quickly.
2. Wet and wrap socks. This method works best at night. Take a pair of cotton socks long enough to cover the ankles and wet them under cold water. Wring them out and put them on. Put a pair of pure wool socks over these socks for insulation. The person with the socks on has to stay in bed all night, under the covers.
   • Most children calm down quickly because after a few minutes they feel less warm.
   • This treatment comes from natural medicine. The theory is that cold feet stimulate circulation, which in turn supports the immune system. As a result, the body wants to get rid of the heat so that the socks eventually dry and the body cools down. This treatment can also help clear the airways.
3. Try wet towels. Take one or two towels and fold them in half lengthwise. Soak the towels in very cold water, or even ice water. Wring them out and wrap them around the head, neck, ankles, or wrists. Do not use the towels in more than two places - for example around the head and ankles, or around the neck and wrists. Otherwise you can to cool down a lot.
   • The cold towels extract heat from the body and can lower body temperature. Repeat if the towels have dried or if they are no longer cold enough. Repeat as often as you like.

Part 2 of 3: Adjusting your diet if you have a fever

1. Eat less. They say "starve" a fever, and there's a point, according to recent research. Your body shouldn't waste energy on digestion, but on controlling the infection causing the fever.
2. Eat healthy fruits. Choose fruits such as berries, watermelon, orange or cantaloupe. They are full of vitamin C, which helps to fight infections and reduce the fever. They also keep you hydrated.
   • Avoid fatty foods such as fried things or baked meat. Do not eat too spicy, such as salami or dishes with peppers.
3. Eat some soup. For example, you can eat chicken stock or chicken soup with some rice and vegetables. Research has shown that chicken soup even has medicinal properties. You also ensure that you get enough moisture.
   • Make sure you eat a good and easily digestible source of protein, such as scrambled eggs or chicken (put some pieces of chicken in your chicken stock).
4. Drink lots of water. Fever can lead to dehydration, making you feel even worse. Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water or an oral rehydration fluid, such as O.R.S. Call your doctor and ask for advice. Have a list of symptoms to hand, including how much you drank and ate, and how high the fever is. If you have a young child, also keep a record of how often you have changed the diaper or how often he / she has urinated with an older child.
   • If you are breastfeeding your baby, continue to do so as much as possible. Then you give him / her nutrition, moisture and comfort.
   • Kids (and many adults too) love popsicles as a way to stay hydrated. Just try not to get too much sugar. Take, for example, natural fruit ice creams, frozen yogurt or a sorbet. Don't forget to drink enough water too!
5. Drink herbal tea to lower the fever. You can buy this tea or make it yourself. Simply add a teaspoon of dried herbs to every 250 ml of water. Let the herbs soak in the boiling water for 5 minutes and season with lemon and honey. Do not add milk, as dairy products clog the airways. For small children, use 1/2 teaspoon of herbs and make sure that the tea has cooled down well! Do not use herbal tea on babies unless directed by your doctor. Try making herbal teas from the following herbs:
   • Basil
   • White willow bark
   • Peppermint or mint
   • Calendula
   • Hyssop
   • Raspberry leaf
   • Ginger
   • Oregano
   • Thyme

Part 3 of 3: Knowing when to seek medical help

1. Know when to call your doctor. Body temperature can fluctuate during the day, but 37ºC is considered a normal temperature. A doctor is recommended for children younger than 4 months immediately when the temperature is 38ºC or higher. For a child aged 6 months or older with a temperature of 39.4ºC or higher, the doctor should also be called. If your child has a fever along with any of the following symptoms, call the doctor (or 112) as soon as possible:
   • Looking sick and not wanting to eat
   • Confusion
   • Dazedness
   • Clear signs of infection (pus, fluid, red streaks)
   • Sudden attack
   • Sore throat, rash, headache, stiff neck and earache
   • Other rare symptoms to watch out for that need help right away:
     • Howling high, or if the sound is like a barking seal
     • Difficulty breathing, or a blue glow around the mouth, fingers and / or toes
     • Swelling on top of the baby's head (the soft spot called the fontanelle)
     • Slack, motionlessness
2. Watch for signs of mild dehydration. Call your doctor if you notice even the slightest signs of dehydration, especially in babies. They can quickly become seriously dehydrated. Symptoms of mild dehydration are:
   • Dry, sticky mouth, or crusts around the baby's lips and eyes
   • More sleepy, tired or drowsy than usual
   • Thirst (watch for lips smacking or squeezing lips to see if a baby is thirsty)
   • Urinating less
   • Dry diapers (A baby should have a wet diaper every 3 hours. If the diaper is still dry after 3 hours, it could mean that the baby is dehydrated. Give extra liquid and check again after an hour. If the diaper is still dry, call the doctor.)
   • Dark urine
   • Little or no tears when crying
   • Dry skin (Grasp the skin at the back of the hand. In a well-hydrated baby, the skin immediately springs back when you let go.)
   • Blockage
   • Dizziness or light-headedness
3. Recognize signs of severe dehydration. If you see any of these symptoms, call 911 and your doctor right away. Signs of severe dehydration include:
   • Extreme thirst, drowsiness, or sleepiness, in both children and adults (in adults, this often manifests itself as irritability and confusion).
   • Very dry mouth, skin and mucous membranes, or crusts around the mouth and eyes
   • No tears when crying
   • Dry skin that doesn't bounce back when you grab it between your fingers
   • Less urination and dark urine
   • Deep-set eyes (This may look like dark circles under the eyes)
   • Deeper fontanelle (the soft part on top of the head)
   • Rapid heartbeat and / or rapid breathing
   • Fever
4. See if a baby has a febrile seizure. Febrile seizures are a type of spasm in babies with a fever. It looks scary, but usually it passes quickly and doesn't hurt that much. Febrile seizures are most common in children between 6 months and 5 years of age. If your child has febrile seizures:
   • Then make sure there is nothing sharp around that could hurt your child.
   • Do not hold your baby or hinder the movement.
   • Then put your child on his side or stomach.
   • If the febrile seizures last for more than 10 minutes, call 112 and have the child examined (especially if he also has a stiff neck, vomiting and / or is lethargic or motionless).

Tips

• Taking the temperature rectally is considered the most accurate method and this temperature can deviate (sometimes significantly) from the oral temperature or temperature recorded with a forehead or ear thermometer.
• The rectal temperature can be 0.3ºC to 0.6ºC higher than the oral temperature.
• The temperature measured with a forehead thermometer is usually 0.3ºC to 0.6ºC lower than the oral temperature, and thus 0.6ºC to 1.2ºC lower than the rectal temperature.
• The ear temperature is usually 0.3ºC to 0.6ºC higher than the oral temperature.
• If your child has a fever for more than 1 day (in children under 2) or more than 3 days if they are older, call the doctor.
• Body temperature is usually lower in the morning and higher in the evening.
• Always drink plenty of water.
• Make sure your child is not too hot. Dressing your child too warm can cause body temperature to rise even further. Put on your child light cotton pajamas and thin socks. Keep the room warm and put your child under a blanket.

Warnings

• If you have a thyroid condition known as hyperthyroidism (a very high concentration of thyroid hormones) this is an emergency and you should call 911. The approach described above does not help in hyperthyroidism.
• Do not drink tea with caffeine (black, green or white), because that will actually make you warmer.
• If you have a fever, do not drink alcohol or drinks with caffeine, such as coffee, tea, or cola.
• Give children never aspirin, unless prescribed by your doctor. Children under 18 should not take aspirin.