A fever is a sign that your body has an infection and that it is attempting to fight that infection. The body averages a temperature of 97.9 degrees and 100.4 degrees. A fever is classified as one reaching 100.5 degrees and higher. A fever is often looked upon as a positive thing considering it is a result of fighting an infection in the body, however, if it rises too high and causes additional pain, it could be viewed as a negative thing. Generally, you do not want to reduce a fever. In the cases that result in a very high reading or if an individual is extremely uncomfortable, fever reduction may be a consideration. If you attempt to reduce a fever in a person, it could cause the person to stay ill for an extended amount of time. If you or a child has a fever and you are considering attempting to reduce the fever, you should first consult your physician.
When you have a fever, it is important that you rest and keep yourself properly hydrated. This will ensure that the body is able to focus on the task at hand, which is to fight the infection. It is also very important that you drink plenty of liquids – preferably clear liquids. Clear liquids consist of water, juices, broth, and Jell-O. This will help to strengthen your body in addition to keeping you properly hydrated.
You should try to maintain a cool temperature in the room that you are in. It is normally suggested that you keep a room around 70 degrees, or higher. You should not exceed 75 degrees when you are running a fever. If you find that you start to feel cold, you should cover up with a light blanket or sheet. If your body registers as being cold, it will receive signals to produce more heat. This could increase the fever. If your body is registering that it is hot, it will send signals to produce less heat.
If a child has a high fever, you may place them in a bath that is lukewarm in nature for anywhere between 15 minutes and 30 minutes. Ensure that you wipe the child completely down, focusing on the back of the neck. If you have given the child medication for the fever, you should wait until the next temperature check to see if it is necessary to issue a lukewarm bath. Once you give a child a fever reducer, you should check the temperature approximately 45 minutes later. If the fever has not reduced, you may go ahead and give the child a lukewarm bath to try to bring it down. It is important that you NEVER place a child in a cold bath when they have a fever. You could cause them to go into shock and it could prove to be fatal. Once again, NEVER, ever, place a child in a cold bath when they have a high fever.
If you or a child has a fever, you may want to invest in some lip balm. This will prevent the lips from becoming extremely dry and painful while the fever runs its course. You may also want to invest in some pain reliever. You may purchase over the counter pain relievers that do not reduce fever, or you may buy one that does reduce fever. It is not advised that you give children aspirin to reduce a fever. In children, you should use acetaminophen, or Tylenol. In adults, you may use aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen providing that there are no allergies associated with any of these medications.
Please be advised that the steps listed in this article should not replace professional medical advice. These are merely suggestions. If you or your child has a fever, it is important to seek treatment from a medical professional. Always follow orders from your doctor.
