Physical cooling methods

For some younger children, the best way to deal with a cold or fever is not to take antipyretic drugs directly. Instead, many mothers habitually put a cold towel on their child's forehead, or use some warm water to wipe their child's skin and body to reduce the high temperature that occurs when the child has a fever. In fact, these methods are all physical cooling methods. So what are the other methods of physical cooling?

In fact, there are many physical cooling methods, and they are very effective for children's fever and other phenomena. Compared with drug cooling, the side effects are relatively small and almost non-existent. In addition, children will be more receptive. So what are the physical cooling methods?

Physical cooling methods

Physical cooling is suitable for children with high fever and good circulation. There are many physical cooling methods, including the cold compress on the head, warm water bath, alcohol bath, cold salt water enema and other methods mentioned above. These methods are generally simple to perform and do not have the adverse reactions of drug-induced fever. Therefore, when the child has a fever, it is best for the mother to first use some physical cooling methods. Here are some commonly used physical cooling methods.

1. Cold compress on the head: Cold compress on the head is suitable for children with general fever whose body temperature is not particularly high. The method is to soak a towel with cold water and apply it to the child's forehead, changing it every 5-10 minutes. You can also fill a water bag with cold water and place it under your head.

2. Warm water bath: Warm water bath is suitable for cooling down children with high fever. The method is to wipe the child's skin all over the body with warm water at about 32℃-34℃. You can wipe for a little longer in areas with rich blood vessels, such as the armpits, groin, and armpits, to help dissipate heat. The chest, abdomen and other areas are sensitive to cold stimulation, so it is best not to wipe them. If a child with a rash has a fever, do not use warm water baths to cool him down.

3. Alcohol rub bath: Alcohol rub bath is suitable for children with high fever. The method is to use 30% - 50% concentration of alcohol. If there is no alcohol, you can use white wine instead. Soak a small towel in it and wipe the child's neck, limbs, back, palms and soles of the feet. Pay special attention to wiping the armpits, elbows, armpits, groin and other areas rich in blood vessels. Note that alcohol baths should not be used for rash diseases such as measles.

4. Cold saline enema: Cold saline enema has a significant cooling effect, but it is not suitable for home use. The method is to take 200-300mL of normal saline, the temperature should be 4℃-6℃, wipe the anal tube with glycerin or other lubricating oil and then insert it into the anus, then inject or pour the prepared saline with a syringe. After pouring, the child's anus needs to be clamped by hand for about 10 minutes to prevent the saline from being discharged.

5. Ice pack cold compress: Smash an appropriate amount of ice into walnut-sized pieces and put them in a basin. Rinse with water to dissolve the sharp edges of the ice to avoid damaging the ice pack. Fill the bag halfway with ice, add appropriate amount of cold water to fill the gaps in the ice bag, then lay the ice bag flat, press out the gas with your hands and tighten the plug cap, wrap it with a towel, and place it where the child needs it.

6. Low temperature chamber method: Place the sick child in an environment with a room temperature of about 24°C to slowly lower the body temperature. In order to allow the skin to come into contact with the outside air and help cool down, people need to wear less clothes. If conditions permit, use air conditioning to lower the room temperature. This method is suitable for babies under 1 month old, especially in summer. Just open the baby's clothes and put him in a cool place, his body temperature will slowly drop. If your baby has chills and shivering when having a fever, you should not use the low-temperature chamber method.

7. Drink more warm water, vegetable juice and fruit juice. Let your baby drink more water and replenish body fluids. This is the most basic method of reducing fever. It is very effective and practical and suitable for all babies with fever. Do not give your baby cold water, because fever is often accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms and cough, and drinking cold water will aggravate these accompanying symptoms. Give your baby warm water.

8. Cooling patch: Cooling patch is a new product in recent years and is very popular. In fact, the cooling effect is average and not as exaggerated as advertised. Putting a patch on the baby's forehead will make the baby's head feel more comfortable and the parents will feel more at ease too. It should be beneficial and harmless.

In general, physical cooling methods are better and more effective for children's fever. In addition to using a towel to cool the child's forehead, you can also use alcohol to wipe the child's limbs and body, etc. In addition, you should replenish the child with water in time, etc., which will help relieve the symptoms of fever. However, if the child continues to have a fever or high fever, he or she should go to the hospital for treatment in time to avoid irreversible consequences.