How can I reduce my child’s fever without using medicine?
If your child has a fever and you don’t have access to ibuprofen or acetaminophen, you can take a non-medical approach to reducing your child’s fever.
Here it is important to note that lowering your child’s fever cannot help cure the underlying problem or illness. You actually get a fever when your body is trying to fight an infection. However, it is important to control the fever if it is too high. Your child should not feel overly dehydrated or uncomfortable. Here are some methods you can try at home. Keep reading to know more.
Your first approach is to put a cool, damp cloth on your child’s forehead. Make sure your child is lying in bed while doing this treatment.
Your second approach should be to give your child a sponge or a warm bath. The evaporation of the water leaves the skin fresh and lowers the fever. It is not a good idea to use cold water for this purpose. Cold water will make your child shiver, which can increase the fever even more. In the same way, using isopropyl alcohol is not recommended as it can cause alcohol poisoning or temperature spikes.
Ask your child to drink lots of fluids. You can go for yogurt and popsicles, for example, to lower the temperature from the inside. Hydration helps cool your body. Ideally, your child should drink as much water as possible. Make sure the water is cold, not cold.
You can also use a fan. However, make sure the air is not too cold. Therefore, it is important to keep the setting low. The air should circulate around you rather than blowing directly onto your face.
Ask your child to remove extra layers of clothing. This will help your child lose heat through the skin. Also, you may want to dress her in a single layer. However, the coat should be light. If he starts shaking, you can put a blanket on him until he feels better again. However, make sure the blanket is warm.
If it is indoors, the place should be cool. If you are outdoors, make sure you stay in the shade of a tree or something.
Here, it is imperative that you call the doctor immediately if your child is less than 3 months old. If your baby’s age is less than 3 months and his fever is 101 degrees or worse, you need a doctor. On the other hand, if you are older than 6 months, you need a doctor’s assistance if your temperature is 102 degrees.
Regardless of your child’s age, you may want to call the doctor, especially if he has many other symptoms as well, such as purple spots or shortness of breath. These symptoms are usually signs of a bacterial infection. In this case, you can’t do anything except contact a doctor.
Simply put, these are some effective approaches you can use to lower your child’s temperature if you are unable to get medical attention for some reason.
