Fever is frequently defined as the elevation of body temperature in response to an infection or other disease process. Using the upper limit of normal as 99.9 degrees Fahrenheit, fever would be defined as 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 degrees Celsius) or higher.
This defense mechanism produced by our immune systems attempt to destroy the invading infection in our body often times gets a pretty bad rap.
Fever can make you feel pretty awful. It causes, for some, severe headache, body aches, chills and an overall feeling of just being pretty darn sick.
However, fever also combats the infection in our body by raising our body temperature in an effort to kill those bacteria and viruses that are sensitive to heat.
So, a little fever is good. Still, sometimes the fever can create other problems that must be addressed. These are some steps to take when trying to reduce fever.
Infants & Children
Always medicate according to age and or weight
Dose every 4 to 6 hours; not just every now and then or when the child "feels" hot
Take the child's temperature - rectal is most accurate
Never wipe the child down with alcohol or "cold" water
A tepid water bath is advised
(As a nurse and mother - Ibuprofen has always worked better for me but Tylenol is also recommended)
Adults
Follow the dosing instructions on the fever reducer of your choice
If you are a smoker, make sure to check your temp 20 to 30 minutes after you've smoked since smoking raises the temperature in the mouth
As for other measures to take with infants/children don't overdress the child. We are so accustomed to wrapping babies in blankets and placing them in the one piece sleepers. If you're in a house that's comfortably warm it really isn't necessary to dress the child in this way. Heat (especially where fever is concerned) needs to escape. The rule of thumb is - if you feel comfortable in the house the child should as well. If fever occurs during warm months, dress the child in as little as possible.
As I stated earlier, fever can cause chills. With chills, most people will shake or and some might say, shiver. Shivering tends to cause the temperature to increase. So, in this situation, making the patient as comfortable as possible to stop the shaking is also helpful.
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