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Home remedies for fever
If the fever is higher than 39 degrees Celsius in adults (39.5 degrees in children - except for children with a tendency to fever) or severe symptoms, the fever should be lowered. There are numerous home remedies that are usually relatively easy to apply at home. Often, these offer a sensible alternative to medication by using the body's own defenses. In the following, we will introduce you to proven home remedies for fever. If the fever still does not decrease after a day or even increase, so in any case, seek medical advice. With rising fever after surgery must be consulted directly a doctor, here could be a dangerous infection reason for the elevated temperature.
contents
- From which body temperature is to react?
- Diet in fever
- Increased fluid requirement
- The correct temperature measurement
- Cold calf wrap
- vinegar Stockings
- washings
- peppermint wash
- Descending full bath
- Antipyretic medicinal plants
- Homeopathic remedy for fever
From which body temperature is to react?
Natural home remedies can help against fever if a temperature drop is desired. From a body temperature of 38 ° C, the thermometer indicates fever - a so-called "general reaction" of the body, which may have multiple causes such as infectious diseases or autoimmune diseases. Although fever can be dangerous in some cases (for example, babies and the elderly), it is basically a sensible body reaction. A higher temperature helps our body to kill unwanted pathogens or to prevent an increase of these germs. A moderately elevated temperature is therefore no cause for concern. If the elevated temperature remains below 39 ° C, a balance should be made. Does the fever need to be alleviated? Or, first of all, it is enough to allow our body a lot of rest, sleep and fluid, giving it the chance of self-healing?
From a body temperature of 38 degrees, this is called a fever. (Image: Igos / fotolia.com) For babies and children, we should immediately support the body in bringing the body temperature back to normal. Even people who are already weakened by previous infections or illnesses need direct support to lower the elevated temperature.
In an otherwise healthy person, fever can also be a desirable immune response of the body. Through the fever metabolic processes are accelerated and the circulation is increased, which has an inhibitory effect on the rate of reproduction of bacteria and viruses.
Diet in fever
Often people with a fever have no appetite at all - so they should not be forced to eat. Eating little or no food over a reasonable period of time does not harm the body in case of fever. If you want to eat something, you should use light and protein-rich foods such as chicken or vegetable broth, boiled chicken, steamed vegetables or salad. Even fresh citrus fruits such as oranges, tangerines and grapefruits make sense in case of fever. The vitamin C contained therein is needed by the body to fight the fever underlying infection.
In case of fever, care must be taken to drink as much as possible. Owing to excessive sweating, our body has an increased need for fluid, and sweating removes minerals from the body. The minerals must be urgently returned to the body. A feverish gastrointestinal infection with diarrhea is especially dangerous for very young or debilitated people. Due to dehydration, the organism lacks fluid, which it urgently needs for physical regeneration. Part of the home remedies for the gastrointestinal flu such as healing earth are also recommended for fever
Increased fluid requirement
Due to the possible dehydration daily should be drunk at least two liters, particularly suitable are still mineral water and tea. Likewise, fresh fruit juices - such as oranges and bananas - are mixed with water. Herbal teas can be quickly and easily produced in a wide variety of variants - one of the proven home remedies is the lilac tea. For this rich 50 grams of flowers, on which 1 liter of boiling water is poured. After about five minutes, the flowers are strained. The finished tea should then be drunk several times throughout the day to develop a constant effect on the feverish body.
Black elder tea has expectorant, sweat-inducing and anti-inflammatory - it can also be used against fever. (Image: PhotoSG / fotolia.com) An equally positive effect on fever is black elder tea, which is prepared in the same way. Bitter clover, pansies and willow bark, which are mixed in equal proportions, also help. Add one tablespoon of the mixture per cup with boiling water and the fever-reducing tea is ready. If the patient is unable to retain fluid in the body for a period longer than half a day due to vomiting or diarrhea, a visit to the doctor is recommended.
Also very effective - albeit no tea - is fresh raspberry juice, which, among other things, strengthens the immune system through its numerous vitamins and is known for its sweat-inducing properties. In addition, barley water is considered to be honey with old fever. For this purpose, 50 grams of barley are boiled with two liters of water until the amount of water has reduced to half a liter. In the next step, add two tablespoons of honey, then let it cool down, add a little lemon juice and drink in sips throughout the day.
Especially with feverish children should be paid particular attention that they take enough liquid. Here, in addition to water and (diluted) fresh fruit juices, tea is recommended in a wide variety of varieties. For example, a tea from lime blossom, which is said to be a sweat-inducing, antipyretic and calming effect and therefore promises good relief. For a cup of tea, pour in a teaspoon of lime blossom with boiling water and leave for at least five minutes. Then remove the flowers or sieve, depending on the taste with honey sweet and lukewarm drink.
The correct temperature measurement
It is well known that we can measure our body temperature in different places. In the rectal measurement (in the butt), the obtained value is very close to our actual body temperature. If the temperature is taken in the mouth, the value obtained is lower than the true body temperature. A measurement via an infrared device in the ear canal is another variant. Here, the correct handling of the device is crucial. Incorrect operation will quickly lead to measurement errors with such a device. Accordingly, the rectal measurement is recommended for its accuracy. This is especially true in children. All other patients can be optimally treated by oral temperature measurement.
To note: When measuring in the mouth we add to the value obtained still 0.4 ° C to get the actual temperature. The important thing now is to maintain the way the temperature is raised during a disease phase. Only in this way can we understand comprehensibly tendencies in the temperature development. If the fever is still rising or falling again?
Cold calf rolls help lower the fever. (Image: photophonie / fotolia.com) Cold calf wrap
Wraps and envelopes have a long tradition in naturopathy and are an effective natural healing process that usually has no side effects or other negative effects. As with all antipyretic measures, however, it should also be asked in advance whether limiting the fever at this point in time makes sense. It is usually recommended to take action only at 39 ° C (except for children who are prone to febrile seizures).
It is important for every type of cold water application that the body and feet are warm and that the room temperature is at least 22 ° C. Drafts must be avoided and we must make sure that the coils are close to the body. In addition, the water should not be too cold, but only one to five degrees colder than the body temperature of the patient. Cotton towels (for example, kitchen towels) are then dipped into the water, which are then gently wrung out and loosely wrapped around the fever's calf - until the towels warm. These are then removed and the procedure repeated as needed up to four times. However, the cold wraps should not rest for more than 30 minutes at a time, after which the body should first be allowed to rest.
An alternative to the cold calf rolls are the so-called "wet stockings": For this purpose, cotton stockings are placed in cold water, wrung and then tightened. Dry wool stockings are then pulled over these wet socks. Once the wet stockings have warmed up, they can be renewed - this process can also be repeated a few times until the fever has subsided. It is important that the patient should not get too cold.
vinegar Stockings
Another alternative to the calf wrap and a well-tried home remedy is the so-called "vinegar stocking". For this purpose, five parts of lukewarm water and one part of apple cider vinegar are mixed together. In this vinegar tincture then two cotton stockings are dipped until they have become soaked. These socks are now wrung and tightened, possibly over the calves. Then put on dry socks and let the patients rest well covered. After 45 to 60 minutes (in children about 20 minutes), the stockings can be taken off again and the feet and calves are rubbed off well. If the fever has not fallen, the application can be repeated a second time - but only when legs and feet are warm again.
Warm feet are a must if you already feel sick. Because cold feet cool down the circulating blood and our defenses work worse. (Image: terovesalainen / fotolia.com) washings
Especially with young children, a wash is good for reducing high fever. For this purpose, the body of the child with a washcloth and lukewarm water is rubbed off, with the exact temperature should be based on the degree of well-being of the child and should be about one to ten degrees Celsius below body temperature. The washing then takes place in a specific order. This means rubbing off the hands, arms, neck, abdomen, sides and back first, then the feet and legs and finally the buttocks. The skin should be moistened during the wash and not dripping wet. It is always washed contrary to the hair growth direction, because only in this way the beads are really removed. If the hair growth direction is not recognizable, it is washed in a circular motion. Overall, the process should take no longer than two minutes - then do not dry as possible, so that an evaporative cold can arise. Finally, put a pajamas on the child and cover them warm - in addition, a sweat-inducing elder tea can be given with good compatibility to support drinking. As needed, such washing may be repeated two to four times at regular intervals of 30 minutes.
peppermint wash
A modification of the washing with normal water is the peppermint wash - an equally effective home remedy, as peppermint stimulates, among other things, the cold receptors of the skin and thus a pleasant cooling effect is achieved. This procedure can be used in children over one year old. If pure peppermint oil is used, however, the child should always be at least six years old, as peppermint oil can cause shortness of breath in very small children and is therefore potentially dangerous. For this form of washing a teaspoon of peppermint leaves (for example, from the pharmacy) is poured over 300 milliliters of boiling water. Let this mixture soak for ten minutes, sieve the leaves, mix the finished tea with a liter of water and perform the washing as described above.
Alternatively, it is also possible to work with oil instead of the peppermint leaves, as mentioned above for children from the age of six. Here, one to three drops of pure peppermint oil are mixed with one liter of water. This works best in a bottle, as the mixture must be thoroughly shaken before each use. The washing itself then takes place in this case as described above.
Descending full bath
Unless other applications such as calf wrapping or washing have any effect, a so-called "descending full bath" can be used to lower the fever. For this application, first the bed of the patients with hot water bottles or a heating pad preheated and filled the tub with warm water. The temperature of the bathwater should be only about one degree below the body temperature of the patient. As soon as the person is in the water, cold water is gradually added, reducing the water temperature to around 25 ° C in about 10 to 15 minutes. For this purpose, a thermometer for temperature control is recommended. During the cooling process, the body is rubbed off with a washcloth or a light massage brush. Through this massage technique, the feeling of coldness is mitigated and the heat release of the body is stimulated. After 15 minutes, the tub is left. Now thoroughly dry the body and immediately put in the preheated bed.
Gardenia is more commonly known as an ornamental plant and has long been used in TCM. So she finds in traditional Chinese medicine against fever application. (Image: supanee2550 / fotolia.com) Antipyretic medicinal plants
In case of fever, various medicinal plants are still available to reduce fever and to treat the causes of fever. In addition to the linden and elder flowers, which are traditionally used for tea preparation, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), for example, the root of the Chinese rabbit's ear (Latin: Bupleurum chinense DC) as a typical antipyretic plant. This has a bitter taste, has a cooling effect and stimulates the flow of energy in the liver circulation. For a supportive tea, three to five grams of dried roots are used here every day, boiled in about 500 milliliters of low boiling water for 20 minutes.
The ripe fruits of the gardenia tree (Latin: Gardenia jasminoides Ellis) are often used in TCM for fever. These fruits are similar in appearance to our rose hips, have a bitter taste and stimulate the heart and lungs. For making tea, boil three grams of the dried fruit in about 500 milliliters of low boiling water for 20 minutes. The prepared tea is now drunk throughout the day. As with all medicinal plants: Always consult with the naturopath or naturopathic family doctor. Medicinal plants can also show negative effects and even have a toxic effect.
Hildegard von Bingen has already considered basil to be a fever-reducing medicinal plant. For a basil tea, a bunch of fresh herbs or a handful of dried basil must be doused with hot water.
Homeopathic remedy for fever
Homeopathy also offers a great deal of herbal remedies for fever, whereby the appropriate remedy, the exact application as well as the dosage may vary from person to person and therefore necessarily have to be coordinated with a suitable expert. In general, the plants often used in homeopathy, for example, the Eisenhut (lateness Aconitum napellus), which contains very toxic alkaloids, in homeopathic form, however, is especially suitable for sudden fever in conjunction with restless sleep and barking dry cough. Likewise, the homeopathic remedy belladonna produced from the belladonna (Latin: Atropa belladonna) is said to have a beneficial effect on fever. So Belladonna is administered as globules or drops.
Danger: As a plant itself, the belladonna from the nightshade plant family is very poisonous. Already three to four berries can be fatal for children. In the United States, researchers warn even before giving these globules to children. Other homeopathic remedies commonly used for fever include Eupatorium perfoliatum, Ferrum phosphoricum and Gelsemium. (Nr, db, updated 18/06/2018)