Can I take a shower if I have a fever?

Many people have had this experience: when you have a fever or a cold, your body is very hot and you cannot use the air conditioner or fan, especially in the summer, and you really want to take a shower to cool down. Moreover, taking a bath can help dissipate heat and has the effect of physical cooling. However, many people also know that fever is mostly the result of cold body, and it is easy to catch a cold after taking a bath. So the question is, can people with fever take a bath?

Can I take a bath if I have a cold and fever?

Regarding the question of whether you can take a bath after catching a cold, you cannot give a general answer of yes or no. It depends on the specific situation, such as:

1. If you do not have a fever or other obvious cold symptoms:

If you don't have a fever or other obvious cold symptoms, you can take a bath for a common cold, and it will relieve the symptoms of the cold. Under appropriate circumstances, bathing can promote blood circulation and is of some help to colds. In addition, the inflammatory products and toxins generated by the human body in the process of fighting viruses are eliminated through the skin along with sweat. Taking a bath washes away these wastes and enhances immunity. Scientists believe that water, soap and bath products are "medicine" that eliminate inflammation and promote health.

However, they do not advocate regular use of antibacterial soaps. Although antibacterial soaps kill bacteria, they do not help protect the skin from infection. In addition, remember that when taking a bath, the indoor temperature must be high and you cannot catch a cold, otherwise it will aggravate your cold.

2. When a cold is accompanied by fever:

1. Take a bath when you have a low fever

In the early stages of a cold, when you still have strength, as long as your body temperature is not over 38 degrees, and you pay attention to keeping your body warm after bathing to ensure you don't catch a cold, then usually there is no problem with taking a shower or a bath. Of course, you can only take hot showers, not cold showers. Also, don't take too long in the bath. However, if you cannot guarantee that you will not catch a cold, it is best not to take a bath for the time being, so as to avoid catching a cold and making the cold worse. This depends on the temperature where you are and the room temperature in your home. The key is not to catch a cold again, otherwise it may cause the condition to worsen.

2. Avoid taking a hot bath for a long time if you have a fever

If the fever or cold symptoms are obviously making you feel tired, you can take a proper shower, but you must avoid soaking in hot water for a long time. Because this may cause disorders in the nerve centers that regulate body temperature and consume more physical energy.

3. Don’t take a bath when you have a high fever

It is best not to take a bath when you have a high fever. If you take a bath when your fever is over 38 degrees, the fever will only get worse after the bath. Try not to take a bath at this time. If you must shower, take a short, warm shower. And please be careful not to catch a cold after taking a shower.

4. Do not take a bath immediately after taking the medicine if your body temperature drops

Taking a shower immediately after your body temperature drops after taking medicine will increase the burden on your body. Once you stop taking the medicine, your body temperature will rise again. Therefore, after the fever subsides, please observe for half a day to make sure that the fever does not recur before taking a bath. Especially after being infected with the flu, even if the fever is temporarily reduced by taking antiviral cold medicine, the body temperature will often rise again. Even if you want to use antipyretics to reduce the fever, the effect is only temporary and the fever will definitely come again. Therefore, it is best not to take a bath immediately after the fever subsides.

Tips

There is a saying that it is best not to take a bath when you start to catch a cold or fever, including within two or three days after the fever subsides. Many people do this. Studies on tuberculosis patients and others have found that bathing does consume people's energy and physical strength. In addition, if it is an infectious disease, bathing will not only consume physical energy, but also speed up blood circulation, thus spreading the disease. You won’t get too dirty if you don’t take a bath, so many doctors also advise this. But the custom in Europe and the United States is to take a shower even if you have a fever. Therefore, people began to rediscover modern bathing methods. Compared with the past, modern people's nutritional status and physical strength have improved a lot. In addition, the living environment is also good, so for generally healthy modern people, expending physical energy will not be a problem. In addition, treatments such as antibiotics and antipyretics are constantly improving, so when a healthy modern person catches a cold, even if he or she has a fever, if he or she is in good spirits and asks to take a bath, there will be no problem.

In short, if you have a cold, you can take a bath unless you have a high fever or "feel like you're having a fever." But remember to replenish water and never freeze it. The bath water should not be too hot and the bath time should not be too long. When you have a cold, you need to be more careful when taking a bath than usual.