Dealing with a child's fever can be complicated, and there are many different ways to handle it. The method outlined here involves dealing with these fevers naturally. This may be hard to put into practice, but if you give this method of dealing with your child’s fever a try, you will be amazed at the speed of recovery.
1Don't panic. You may feel compelled to try to take away the symptoms and stop the poor child from feeling so miserable. However, it's important to realize that all of their symptoms are natural, and that bringing the fever down may not always be necessary.
2Understand the body's natural heat response. When the initial responses of the immune system are not sufficient in dealing with all the invading pathogens, or if it has been thwarted in its natural efforts to heal, your body launches another attack – turn up the heat! The role of a fever is to literally kill the bacteria and viruses that are causing the system distress. Bacterial and viral proteins die off at different temperatures, bacteria at below 40 °C (104 °F) (usually 38 – 39.5) and viruses at over 40 °C (104 °F), usually 40-41ºC.
3Allow the fever to do the work. If you leave the fever alone and do not give anything to bring it down, then the immune system can kill all pathogens leaving your child’s body free and healed. When the fever breaks on its own and the temperature starts coming down, your child will wake up better.
4Understand the mechanism of chills. Chills are often felt before the heat, because this is one of the mechanisms of heat production. When the thermostat level is set higher than normal, the relative current temperature is now colder than the setting, hence the child feels cold. Blood vessels in the skin constrict (get smaller and deeper) to prevent heat loss from the skin causing a cold feeling. Shivering follows because the brain instructs the skeletal muscles to contract in order to create movement & friction that heats the body up. The hair follicles on the skin also perk up, trapping a layer of air underneath which insulates the skin and increases the temperature – this is commonly known as “goose flesh”!
- As the temperature increases to the new level set by the thermostat, these chilly symptoms abate, because the temperature now reflects the setting and the child feels neither hot nor cold – despite an elevated temperate reading.
- At this point the temperature may stabilize for a few hours, alerting you to the fact that this is the optimal temperature for the destruction of the enemy. If the child is calm but just hot, leave them be, this is not dangerous and is vital in killing off the baddies!
5Use homeopathic remedies. These work wonderfully in supporting the body’s natural immune response. They will not actively bring down the fever as a paracetamol or ibuprofen-based medications would, but rather support and speed up the body’s inherent healing abilities, thus bringing about rapid healing.
- Commonly known remedies that have been known to assist in as little as a few minutes at times are Belladonna and Aconite. However, finding the remedy that is specific for that particular fever may take a little more thought. These two remedies will not necessarily cure all fevers; homeopathic remedies are very specific to the nature of the symptoms.
- Consult a registered practitioner for more specified care.
- Know that the sooner homeopathic remedies are given, the quicker the healing happens. The fever will usually come down within 1-3 days of homeopathic intervention
6Note the response to the increase in heat. When the immune system has won the battle and most of the pathogens have been killed off, an apparent crisis arises. The child will suddenly get very hot, feel very hot to touch and often begins sweating excessively. This is because the pyrogens have been removed to a safer level, the bacteria and viruses killed, and the thermostat has been reset to normal again. The body must now bring down the temperature of the internal environment. Blood vessels in the skin dilate (get wider and closer to the skin), causing heat to be radiated from the skin as well as the red / pink hue of a fever. Sudden sweating also follows, which is a well-known way in which the body cools itself down.
7Understand fever convulsions. Although frightening when not understood, convulsions, or "febrile seizures," are actually not that dangerous and are seldom the cause of any brain damage as is commonly thought. Recent research suggests that fever convulsions have no lasting negative effects on a child. Only about 2% of people (children & adults included) will ever get a fever convulsion, and while having a fever convulsion may increase the likelihood of having another in the future, it will not increase future risk of acquiring a seizure disorder. Convulsions are caused by excessive heating of the centre of the brain that is responsible for temperature control, which leads to abnormal activity in the brain area that controls muscle contractions, this results in a fever fit.
- Know what fever convulsions look like. The fit may start suddenly and can be preceded by a scream. Typically, your child will get rigid and their arms and legs will begin jerking. Their eyes may roll backwards or they may stare fixedly into space. Sometimes frothing at the mouth also occurs. They typically last for one minute. Afterwards, your child may stay unconscious for a short while, then wake up appearing dazed and confused and then fall off into a deep sleep for a while longer. Leave them to sleep, as this sleep is very necessary for the recovery of the brain and system in general.
- Know what to do when your child is having a fever convulsion.
- As in all first aid practices, always check your ABC’s: AIRWAY, BREATHING, CIRCULATION.
- Check the clock so that you can time the length of the fit.
- Turn your child onto his side to prevent his tongue falling back and possibly blocking his airway (actually swallowing the tongue is impossible).
- Wipe away any mucus, foam, food particles or anything else that may be blocking his mouth by sweeping one finger across his mouth (never use a 2-fingered pincer grasp as this can push the blockage further in).
- Loosen all tight clothing to allow free movement.
- DO NOT restrain your child at all, allow his body to shake as it needs to, the muscles are very rigid and if restrained, this may result in injury.
- DO NOT try to give him anything in his mouth.
- Contact your practitioner as soon as possible.
- Distinguish fever convulsions from epilepsy. Care needs to be taken however, to ensure that your child does not suffer with epilepsy. If your child convulses at a low grade temperature, below 38.5 °C (101.3 °F), then professional help must be sort.
8Understand your child's behaviors while having a fever. Don’t be alarmed if your child is burning up and wants a blanket, or is sweating but does not want anything to drink. Understand that they are following the exact commands of their bodies and will ask for and accept anything that they need.
- Please consult a medical expert when in doubt.
- Consult a pediatrician if the fever lasts longer than 3 days, occurs in a child less than 3 months of age, is 38.9 °C (102.0 °F) or higher in any age, involves convulsions, or occurs alongside a new rash.
Sources and Citations
- Original source of article, Doc's choice Homeopathic & Herbal remedies 2010
In other languages:
Español: tratar la fiebre de un niño naturalmente, Italiano: Curare Naturalmente la Febbre nel Bambino, Português: Lidar com a Febre de uma Criança Naturalmente, Русский: справляться с высокой температурой ребенка естественными способами
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