What to do if you have a fever

In the hot summer, many people will sweat profusely outdoors and then go into an air-conditioned room. The huge temperature difference can easily cause a cold or fever, so the cold rate in summer is no less than that in spring and winter. However, fever is just a symptom. Many diseases can cause fever, such as toothache, inflammation, mechanical damage, etc. Therefore, it is difficult for us to know what disease we have from the single symptom of fever.

Even so, when we have a fever, we all need to lower our body temperature. After all, if the fever is too severe, it can easily cause damage to the body due to the heat. So what should we do when we have a fever? Let’s take a detailed look below.

Fever itself is not a disease, but a symptom. In fact, it is one of the body's mechanisms for fighting infection. Fever may even have its uses: shortening the duration of illness, enhancing the effectiveness of antibiotics, and making infections less contagious. These abilities should offset the discomfort experienced when having a fever. If you need extra relief, try the following tips.

Fluid replacement

When you feel hot, your body sweats to cool you down. But if you lose a lot of water -- for example, when you have a high fever -- your body shuts down the sweat glands to prevent further water loss. This makes it harder for you to deal with the fever. The solution is to drink fluids. In addition to plain water, doctors prefer the following beverages:

① Fruit and vegetable juices: These liquids are rich in vitamins and minerals, especially beet juice and carrot juice. If you want to drink tomato juice, choose a low-sodium product.

②Herbal tea Although any tea provides liquid, some are particularly suitable for drinking when you have a fever. One is to mix equal parts dried thyme, linden and chamomile. Thyme has antiseptic properties, chamomile reduces inflammation, and linden flower promotes sweating. Add 1 teaspoon of the above mixture to 1 cup of boiling water, soak for 5 minutes, strain and drink while warm, several times a day.

③Bodhi flower tea is also good to drink alone, it has the function of promoting sweating and reducing fever. Add 1 tablespoon of linden flowers to 1 cup of boiling water. Prepare according to the above method, drink while hot, several times a day.

④ Willow bark Willow bark is rich in salicylic acid, a compound similar to aspirin, and is considered a "natural antipyretic." Make it into tea and drink in moderation.

⑤ Black elderberry This is another traditional antipyretic. If you are not tolerant of aspirin, you can use black elderberry tea in the same way as above.

⑥ Ice: If the vomiting is not serious, you can eat ice cubes to reduce the fever. Pour the juice into an ice tray and freeze it into ice cubes. To lure a child with a fever, place grapes or strawberries in each compartment of an ice box.

Wet compress

Wet compresses help lower body temperature. Hot wet compresses can reduce fever. However, when the patient feels very uncomfortable with the heat, cold wet compresses should be used instead. Place a cold wet towel on your forehead, wrists, and calves, and cover other parts of your body with clothing.

If your body temperature rises above 39.4°C, do not use hot compresses to reduce the fever. Apply cold compress to prevent the body temperature from rising further. When the cold compress reaches body temperature, it should be changed and repeated until the fever subsides. Sponging your entire body to allow evaporation can also help cool you down. Care expert Mary Pan recommends using cool running water to help dissipate excess heat from the skin. Although you can sponge your entire body, pay special attention to areas with higher levels of pigmentation, such as the armpits and groin. After squeezing out excess water from the sponge, wipe one area at a time, keeping the rest of the area covered with clothing. Your body heat will evaporate this water, helping to dissipate the heat.

Doctors warn that although alcohol evaporates more easily than water, it can cause discomfort to patients with fever. Furthermore, inhaling alcohol vapor or even absorbing alcohol through the skin is not good for the patient.

Bath

Babies should be bathed in warm water at room temperature. Another way is to wrap the baby in a wet towel and change it every 15 minutes.

Don't bear the pain

If you feel very uncomfortable, you can take painkillers. Dr. Weekley recommends that adults take 2 aspirin or 2 acetaminophen tablets every 4 hours. The advantage of acetaminophen is that fewer people are allergic to it. Because aspirin and acetamlnoPllen work in slightly different ways, you may want to use both if you feel that you cannot effectively control your fever using either one. Take 2 aspirin and 2 acetamin tablets every 6 hours. phen. Or take 2 aspirin tablets first, and then take 2 acetaminophen tablets 3 hours later. However, before taking these medicines, you need to get your doctor's consent. Children taking acetaminophen Children younger than 21 years of age should avoid aspirin.

Dress appropriately

Use common sense to judge how much clothing to wear. If you are hot, remove excess clothing so that body heat can dissipate. But if you have the chill, wrap yourself in clothing until you are no longer cold. Pay special attention to young babies, as they may not know how to remove clothing if they overheat. In fact, dressing children in too many clothes or placing them in extremely hot places may cause fever.

Adjust the indoor temperature

Try to create a ward atmosphere that is conducive to the patient's recovery. Do not let the room temperature get too high; German doctors generally recommend not exceeding 18.3°C. At the same time, the room should be ventilated moderately to aid recovery, but do not use ventilation equipment. And keep the light soft to make the patient relax.

Eat whenever you want

There is no need to worry about what to eat or what not to eat during a fever. Some doctors prefer fasting (only drinking juice) until the fever subsides. Some doctors believe that it is better to eat something because the body consumes calories when it has a fever. In short, the choice is still yours, eat whatever you want. Just don't forget to drink enough water.

The above are the ways we can recuperate when we have a fever. Of course, if the body feels unwell due to fever, we should go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time. If the fever is severe or often recurs, the patient can also stay in the hospital for observation.