Worse than a flu, worse than a cold, even worse than a sore throat; a fever. Nothing’s worse than wasting multiple days laying sick in your bed, feeling cold and hot at the same time with a high fever. All you want is for it to break so you can get back to your life, but it just seems like it won’t.
Well, there’s no magical cure all for the fever, but there are a few ways you can help it on it’s way without going to the doctor. But first you have to understand that fevers aren’t a sign that you’ve got something terrible. In fact, it often means that your immune system is working properly. Not that that’s really any comfort while you’re in the middle of sweating and shivering in your bed, though.
You also have to consider calling the doctor first thing when you have the fever if it’s bad enough. But it’s just a mild fever, you should focus on lowering it while your body fights the infection. Usually, drinking a ton of water and getting plenty of rest will do the trick. But if you’re looking to bring it down a few degrees or help it break faster, there are a few things that you can do.
Home Fever Remedies
One of the first things you should consider is taking a warm bath. Draw yourself a full tub of warm water and get in and relax, and allow the water to slowly lose temperature while you lie there. As it’s temperature drops, so will yours, without the negative effect of dropping too quickly that a cold bath would have. Don’t forget to light some candles or add Epsom salt to your bath to help you relax and soothe the aches that usually come with a fever.
Next thing you’ll want to do if you find yourself mostly bed bound is using a wet towel for treatment. All you have to do is take a hand towel, folded lengthwise, and soak it ice water. Then wring out the excess so that you don’t end up sleeping in a puddle and place it around the top of your head. If you really feel the heat, you can use two, but don’t use any more than that, otherwise you’ll cool it down too much. And when your towel starts to run dry, make sure to reapply the ice water.
Obviously you’ll want to make sure your plenty hydrated during the duration of your illness. The fluids can help remove toxins and flush your body, which speeds the healing process. Even if you’re going to drink sports drinks or juices for extra vitamins and electrolytes, dilute them by half with water.
And finally, you’re going to want to make sure you eat. And I know that sounds counter productive, since most people lose their appetite when they have a fever and would rather do anything BUT munch on some food. But these foods can include things as light as gluten-free oatmeal or bone broth, as well as fruit juice popsicles for children. Just make sure you use as much unrefined, sugarless foods when you can as to not add an upset tummy to your list of woes. In addition, certain fruits can keep you hydrated and are leaded with antioxidants, such as the Elderberry.
But at the end of the day, look out for worsening symptoms or no break in the fever. If your fever reaches 105 or stick around for a week or more, make sure to see a doctor as to avoid a much more serious illness.
