Fever is not a disease, but a response of the body that defends itself against an infectious process caused, generally, by viruses or bacteria. Fever in children is a common symptom, which shows the reaction of their immune system to different pathogens. It does not always have to be an alarm signal, although, of course, due attention must be paid to it, especially if it is accompanied by other symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting, stiff neck or if it is very high and appears sudden. Also, fever in adults is something relatively normal, which can arise as a result of ailments that in principle are not serious, such as a cold or a mild throat infection. In this case, although without alarmism, It is important to monitor how the fever evolves by going to the doctor in case it persists and the remedies to lower it do not work.
How old is fever?
Before taking any action or resorting to any medication, it is important to know what the normal body temperature is. Determining it exactly is not easy, because each organism is different and also the sensations of each one, when that temperature varies a few tenths or degrees, is very diverse. With 37 ºC on the thermometer, a person can feel really bad and, on the other hand, another does not notice symptoms of fever. To clarify this issue, doctors from the Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians [1] explain that, as a general rule, a body temperature of more than 37.5 ºC can be considered low-grade fever and that from 38 ºC we have a fever (regardless of our basal temperature). Here we indicate the temperature range :
- Below 36 ºC: it is considered low temperature.
- Between 36.6 – 37 ºC: it is the normal state of our body.
- Between 37.5 – 38 ºC: it is about tenths or low-grade fever.
- Between 38 – 39 ºC: there is a fever but it is moderate.
- Between 39 – 40 ºC: there is a high fever.
- 41 ºC or more: the temperature is too high.
Here you can learn more about When is a fever considered .
Take antipyretics
Knowing how to lower a fever quickly will depend to a large extent on knowing the ideal drugs that can help us achieve it. If there is no medical contraindication, antipyretics or antipyretics , such as paracetamol, are the appropriate medications to lower fever in adults and also reduce other mild symptoms, such as headache and general malaise.
Remember that you should never self-medicate . Especially in the case of children and infants, prior consultation with the pediatrician, before giving them any medicine, is essential.
Use cloths with fresh water
When the fever occurs and it is necessary to lower the body temperature without exceeding it, an innocuous and lifelong remedy is to place a cloth moistened with cool water on the forehead and temples to, thus, ‘subtract' heat from our body. Also, putting it on the nape of the neck and on the inside of the wrists and knees can help reduce temperature.
Take a bath with warm water
As in the previous case, immersing yourself in the bathtub and taking a bath in warm water will cause the thermal contrast between the water (cooler) and the body, causing part of that heat that causes the fever to pass into the water and thus you manage to reduce the temperature. We must insist that the baths should be with warm water, never cold , because the sharp contrast could be more harmful than beneficial.
For more details, you can read our article on Is it good to take a bath if you have a fever?
Wear light clothing and ventilate
Instinctively, we tend to bundle up when we feel out of sorts or feel the chills of a fever. By covering ourselves, we inadvertently cause our temperature to rise. The advisable thing to lower the fever is to cover yourself with light clothing , or with a sheet if we are in bed and not with blankets.
In the same way, allowing fresh air to enter the room , ventilating the room for a few minutes, will also favor a drop in ambient temperature, helping us to fight fever.
Eat less
Another thing you should do if you have a fever is not to eat too much, think that heavy or difficult digestion will cause the body to have more problems to fight, since it will have to focus on solving digestive discomfort. Also, when we get stuffed our temperature rises, so it will be worse for us if we already have tenths or a fever.
Therefore, it is best to eat something light such as broths, purees, a little boiled rice or some fruit. The important thing is to facilitate digestion while benefiting from vitamins, minerals and other nutrients necessary for our body to improve.
We advise you to take a look at this other article on Foods to reduce fever .
Make sure you have good hydration
If you are wondering what to take for a fever, the answer is simple: you should drink plenty of fluids , especially water at room temperature or natural, because it will help cool down the inside of the body and also prevent dehydration. Especially children and the elderly need to maintain a good level of hydration as a natural method of controlling fever.
Apart from water at room temperature, you will also hydrate yourself with broths and infusions, but remember not to drink them very hot.
Try to sleep more
Undoubtedly, the best thing for fever in adults and children is rest and sleep as long as possible , especially if it is only a few tenths. In fact, the ideal is to sleep and rest as much as our body asks of us and, in this way, we will surely help it combat the problem and lower the temperature more effectively.
Use medicinal plants to lower fever
There are also some natural remedies to lower the temperature, such as the use of medicinal plants, a very common and effective practice, especially when it comes to low-grade fever. Some of the medicinal herbs that will help you in this case are:
- Chamomile
- Echinacea
- Ginger
- Verbena
- elderflower
- linden
- Thyme
- milk thistle
These plants can be taken as an infusion or can be added as an infusion to bath water or wet cloths.
Check with your doctor
As we have said, fever is not a disease but a symptom that something is not quite right in our body. In its presence, and especially if the body temperature is altered without apparent cause, is very high or does not finish going down, it is important to know what causes it .
For this reason, medical consultation is always advisable, whether it is done by telephone, online or in person, although face-to-face consultation is always preferable to make it easier for the doctor to explore the symptoms and carry out tests.
What not to do to lower the fever
Faced with an episode of mild fever that, in principle, is not alarming, you can put into practice the advice that we have indicated but, in addition, you must try not to make some frequent mistakes. Take note of what you should NOT do:
- Taking antibiotics without being expressly instructed by your doctor. Antibiotics fight bacterial (not viral) infections and do not work to reduce fever.
- Drink very cold water or apply ice to areas of the body to try to lower the temperature.
- Raise the heating to the maximum to try to counteract the sensation of cold that you suffer.
- Abusing antipyretics (taking them without respecting the guideline or minimum time between shots)
- Continue with your activity as if you did not have a fever. Although there is no need to be alarmed, the fever requires that you rest, so that you feel better as soon as possible. Continuing with your daily activities as if nothing was happening to you is a mistake. In addition, fever can indicate an infectious process and protect yourself, keeping distance from others until you know what happens to you, is what you should do.
