Top Easy Ways on How to Manage Fever at Home

Do you have a fever? Don’t worry about it. It is a common symptom of infections that occurs due to the attack of some pathogens like viruses.

Our body, basically the immune system, starts fighting against those viral infections by raising our body temperature and causing other mild symptoms.

Cold or flu viruses 1can last about 3 to 4 days and will resolve as a part of the body’s healing process. But it creates uncomfortable experiences like headaches, tiredness, and muscle pain. If you know how to bring temperature down, you’ll feel a lot better.

These 5 easy steps to manage fever at home.

1. Take enough rest

Fever is an indication that your body is fighting against an infection. During this time, proper rest is necessary as physical activity may raise the body temperature.

Drinking plenty of fluids and sleeping for eight to nine hours—will help boost your immunity. It will help your body combat fever-causing pathogens 2like viruses. And also, say no to any type of exercise, as this may increase your body temperature also.

2. Keep your body hydrated

As fever raises your temperature, excess sweating causes fluid loss and dehydration. So, drinking fluids and keeping your body hydrated is essential for a quick recovery. No need to drink only plain water. You can replace it with fluids like broth, soups, or juices.

For the babies, an electrolyte drink is good. You can make it at home. Its purpose is to rehydrate and replenish the body.

3. Taking tepid sponging & bathing

Taking a bath can reduce the temperature. But a cold or ice bath and alcohol bath will be dangerous. It may cause shivering and raise the body temperature even more. So, instead of this, use lukewarm water. It will help your body to cool off and soothe the tired muscle.

You can also apply tepid sponging to bring down the fever. The process is simple. Just place a moist water cloth on the forehead, neck, armpits, and back region for 5 minutes. Repeat the process for about 30 minutes. It is an effective method for children also.

4. Use light clothing and stay in a cool atmosphere

Wearing light and comfortable clothes helps you feel relaxed. And will improve the air circulation to give you a cooling effect. Warm clothing or blanket can make the fever long-lasting by trapping the heat. So, wear a few layers until you start shivering or feeling cold.

Cooler room temperatures can reduce fever. But you should not overdo it. If you start to shiver or feel cold, stop that immediately. It may increase your body temperature.

5. Use over-the-counter medication

Tiredness and headaches can make you feel uncomfortable and uneasy most of the time, and you want to get some relief. Using over-the-counter medicine can help you deal with it. Besides home remedies, they are also useful for fever.

Many OTC drugs are effective against cold and flu along with fever. So, identify other symptoms you are suffering from, along with the fever. And choose the right medicine.

Some of the common OTC drugs are,

  • acetaminophen

  • aspirin

  • naproxen

  • ibuprofen

But before using these drugs3, keep in mind a few things,

  • Taking more may lead to some other health issues. It can cause kidney problems, liver damage, and stomach bleeding.

  • Don’t give aspirin to children unless prescribed by a doctor. Taking this drug may develop Reye’s syndrome

    4

    —a disease that causes liver and brain swell.

Is visiting a doctor needed?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC5), a fever can be defined as a condition when a person’s body temperature is 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C) or above.

A low-grade fever is beneficial for killing invading pathogens. And it involves an increase in body temperature and other mild symptoms. You can easily fight against it by taking home remedies and fever-reducing drugs.

But the high fevers may cause damage to your body.

You should visit the doctor if you are going through the following symptoms,

  • If the temperature measures 104 degrees F or above.

  • If you face other symptoms like mental confusion, muscle pain, or some unusual symptoms.

Wrapping up

Fever is a normal reaction that your body shows to fight against pathogens. And most of the time, home remedies and OTC medications are the best solutions to deal with. But determining the severity of the fever is also necessary. It will help you understand if you need to visit a doctor or not.

  1. Chavda, Vivek P., Kaushika Patel, and Vasso Apostolopoulos. “Tomato flu outbreak in India.” The Lancet Respiratory Medicine 11.1 (2023): e1-e2. ↩︎
  2. De Oliveira, David MP, et al. “Antimicrobial resistance in ESKAPE pathogens.” Clinical microbiology reviews 33.3 (2020): 10-1128. ↩︎
  3. Kirkland, J. L., and T. Tchkonia. “Senolytic drugs: from discovery to translation.” Journal of internal medicine 288.5 (2020): 518-536. ↩︎
  4. Javanian, Mostafa, et al. “A brief review of influenza virus infection.” Journal of Medical Virology 93.8 (2021): 4638-4646. ↩︎
  5. Schillie, Sarah, et al. “CDC recommendations for hepatitis C screening among adults—United States, 2020.” MMWR Recommendations and Reports 69.2 (2020): 1. ↩︎

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Icy Health Editorial Team

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