Fever

Fever is the body temperature elevated above 37C or 98.6F. Fever is often feared by parents and therefore suppressed using different treatments. Fever in itself is not always to be feared, as it’s the body’s mechanism of fighting off the disease. The rise in body temperature better enables the immune system to fight off disease. With that being said it is also good to watch the fever to ensure it does not get too high.

In an adult the level of the fever often correlates to the severity of the illness. In a child this is not always the case. A child with a mild cold may have a very high fever while another child fighting off pneumonia may have a lower fever. In a newborn the body temperature control is not well developed and therefore one may be able to tell illness more by irritability, lethargy and poor appetite. The body’s temperature control is better regulated after eight years of age.

A fever does not usually need to be brought down unless it is 102F and over. Although a child may not feel like eating, his body may be “racing” as his metabolic rate is going higher, which could cause a loss of weight and fluids. In this case, it may be more comfortable for your child if the fever is brought down naturally and slowly.

Bringing down a fever can also help you to figure out the severity of your child’s illness. Once the fever is brought down the child with a cold may feel better revealing that the fever was causing the child to feel ill while a child with a serious illness will still feel ill and look ill when the fever is brought down.

Conventional Treatment
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a drug often used to lower fever. It also eases discomfort and body aches caused by a fever. In excessive amount this drug can cause liver damage.

Do not give Aspirin to a child with a fever as this can cause serious illness such as Reye’s syndrome (liver disease).

Nutrition and Recommendations
Hydration, fluids, fluids, fluids. Try giving spring water, vegetable juices, diluted fruit juices, herbal tea, fruit juice pops.

Vitamin C has anti-inflammatory properties and is useful in resolving a fever caused by minor infections. It is best to select a powered formula, mineral ascorbate with bioflavonoids.

There are many herbal remedies that can help a fever, either by supporting it, bringing it down or suppressing it. It can be very useful to help the child “sweat it out” and slowly resolve the fever yet sometimes you have to cool down the body and not allow the fever to get too high.
Rosemary, lavender, tea tree and yarrow flowers work to promote sweating, encouraging the resolution of the fever. While bergamot, eucalyptus and peppermint work to cool the body.