How to Reduce Your Fever From Home
Fever is not a disease itself, is a response of the body. If your body is going through an infectious process, generally caused by viruses or bacteria, your immune system will try to defend itself from these pathogens and fever is one of the most common symptoms. It does not mean something is seriously wrong, common cold and mild throat infections are generally to blame. However, it is important to pay close attention to how the fever progresses, especially if it arises all of the sudden and if it is accompanied by other symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting or, stiff neck.
Fever usually decreases after a few days or even less if you treat it properly. Nonetheless, if the fever persists or if it gets worse, you should talk to your doctor to make sure there is nothing to worry about.
In this oneHOWTO article, we explain how to know if you have a fever and we give you some basic tips on how to reduce fever from home by following some simple natural remedies.
- What is considered a fever?
- Why should I use natural remedies to reduce the fever?
- Use cloths soaked in fresh water
- Take a bath with warm water
- Wear light clothing and air out the room often
- Eat something light
- Make sure you stay hydrated
- Try to get as much sleep as possible
- Natural plant-based remedies to lower fever
- Talk to your doctor
- What NOT to do to reduce the fever
What is considered a fever?
Before taking any action or resorting to any medication, it is pertinent to know what a normal body temperature is. Sometimes is not so easy to determine it because each organism is unique and everybody reacts differently to fever depending on their age and character. If the temperature on the thermometer reaches 98.6°F, some might feel really ill while others might not even notice the symptoms. The medical community generally defines a low-grade fever as when the body temperature is above 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit. From 100.4°F onwards, it is considered a fever. The fever temperature range is as follows:
- Below 96.8°F: low temperature.
- Between 97.8°F - 98.6°F: average temperature of the human body.
- Between 99.5°F - 100.4°F: low-grade fever.
- Between 100.4°F - 102.2°F: moderate fever.
- Between 102.2°F - 104°F: high fever.
- Above 105°: the temperature is too high and you should see a doctor immediately.
Why should I use natural remedies to reduce the fever?
As we have previously mentioned, fever is not an illness itself but a symptom of your immune system fighting off an infection. In most cases, your body's immune system is more than able to defend itself from these situations. There are many natural remedies you can apply to lessen the fever symptoms without having to resort to pharmaceutical antipyretics.
Use cloths soaked in fresh water
If you are experiencing fever, the first thing you need to do is to lower your body temperature. In order to do this, you should place a cloth soaked in cool water on the forehead and temples to subtract the heat from your body. You can also place the soaked cloth on the nape area and on the inside of the wrists and knees.
Take a bath with warm water
You can also decrease your body temperature by taking a bath in warm water. This will produce a thermal contrast between the water and your body that will ultimately lower your body temperature. It is important to remember that you should only bathe at an appropriate water temperature. If the water is too hot, it would not produce the desired effect and the temperature will not decrease. If, on the other hand, the water is too cold, the extreme contrast could be more harmful than beneficial for your body.
Read this article to know more about how to quickly lower a fever.
Wear light clothing and air out the room often
Instinctively, we tend to bundle up when we start to feel the chills of fever. By covering ourselves, we unintentionally make our body temperature rise. Contrary to what you might think, covering ourselves with light clothing, or with a cotton sheet instead of thick heavy blankets is a good way of lowering the fever.
Another way of decreasing our body's temperature is by also lowering the room temperature. Make sure you open the windows from time to time and for a few minutes in order to air out the room.
Eat something light
You should avoid eating too much if you have a fever. Slow or heavy digestions make your body waste a lot of energy on digesting the food instead of fighting off the infection that is causing the fever in the first place. In addition, when we have eaten too much, our body tends to temperature rise, which contributes to fever.
It is best to eat something light and healthy such as broths, purees, boiled rice or, fruit. There are many different kinds of food you can eat in order to improve digestion. You can also benefit from the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that your body needs in order to feel better and recover more quickly.
Make sure you stay hydrated
One of the simplest and most effective things you can do if you have a fever is to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids. Room temperature water works best because it contributes to refreshing the interior of your body and also prevents dehydration. You can also keep hydrated by drinking broths and infusions, but remember not to drink them too hot, or else they will cause the opposite effect.
Try to get as much sleep as possible
One of the best ways to treat fever in adults and children is to rest and sleep as much as possible, especially if the fever is starting to increment. Our body needs all the help it can get in order to fight off the fever and you can do that by resting. Do not underestimate what a good night's sleep or a long nap can do to speed up the process.
Natural plant-based remedies to lower fever
There is also a great variety of plant-based remedies to lower your body temperature and break the fever. The following herbs have proven to be highly effective, especially if you ingest them as soon as you notice that the temperature is starting to increase.
- Chamomile
- Echinacea
- Ginger
- Verbena
- Elderflower
- Linden
- Thymes
- Milk thistle
The plants mentioned above can be ingested through an infusion or can also be mixed with the water you will use when bathing or soaking the cloaths.
Talk to your doctor
As we have said before, fever is not a disease but a symptom that something is not quite right in our body. If you notice that the body temperature is very high or if it does not break after a few days, it is necessary to know what is causing it.
This is why medical consultation is always advisable, whether it is done by telephone, online or in-person. Face-to-face consultation is always preferable in order to facilitate the doctor's exploration of the symptoms and in case tests need to be made.
What NOT to do to reduce the fever
As we haveYou should not be alarmed if you are facing an episode of mild fever that, in principle, is not alarming, you can put the advice that we have indicated into practice but, in addition, you should try not to make some frequent mistakes. Take note of what you should NOT do:
- Take antibiotics without being expressly instructed by your doctor. Antibiotics fight bacterial (not viral) infections and they are not effective for treating a fever.
- Drink very cold water or apply ice to areas of the body as a way to lower the body temperature.
- Turn the heating up to counteract the fever chills.
- If you decide to take medication, do not exceed the amount advised in the directions. This will not speed up the process.
- Continue with your daily routine as if you did not have a fever. Fever requires you to rest so that you feel better as soon as possible. In addition, fever can indicate an infectious process, and you should keep a distance from others to avoid spreading the virus.
This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.
If you want to read similar articles to How to Reduce Your Fever From Home, we recommend you visit our Family health category.
- Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians. Semergen patients. Available at: https://www.pacientessemergen.es/index.php?seccion=enfFrecuentes&subSeccion=enfFrecuentes&idTipo=a9frooOCvtnVfu61q7UQ5AsUwa_UuNO01Zm6WPnImX0