Any at home remedies for a fever?!


Question: Any at home remedies for a fever?
This might be an easy question but im only 14, so help. Everyone in my whole family is sick, (even my parents) all except me. Yesterday was my birthday and I didn't do anything because the were all sick and I had to help them around and stuff. They keep coughing and sneezing and have a temperature that ranges from 100 to 103 degrees. I'm mostly worried about my baby sister she is coughing the most and has more symptoms. This has been going on for about a week, even before Christmas. We can't go to the hospital or doctors because well the car was in an accident and etc. We have given them medicine, water and noodles with hot soup. Anything else I can try?

Answers:

Many.
Recently my bf was on some serious antibiotics that we couldnt mix with over-the-counter fever reducers (ibuprofen and tylenol) or it would cause liver and kidney damage.
He also happened to get an unrelated high fever, so we went to the hospital. The ER themselves couldn't do much - they don't have any medical fever reducers other than those two - but sent us home with these instructions:

1) DON'T wrap up - contrary to belief you cant "catch a chill," and as comforting as warm things are they actually make things worse. You may be shivering and want to bundle up, but that will further elevate your temperature. Its not pleasant but your body is making you cold for a reason, its trying to bring your fever down, help it out.

2) DON'T drink warm fluids/soups - Same reason as above.

3) DON'T take hot baths/ showers - Again, would only elevate body temp

4) DO drink lots of water - number one way to bring a fever down. You loose much more moisture due to perspiration during a fever, so its important to really up your fluid intake, and water (with slightly salty foods to help your body absorb it) is the best way to do it.

5) DO take ibuprofen (advil) or acetaminophen (tylenol) - You asked for home remidies so maybe for some reason you cant take these, but if you can then do so! Also, because they are different drugs you can alternate them (take the advil halfway through the dosage time of the tylenol, then take the tylenol halfway through the dosage time of the advil etc). They are both pretty well tolerated with low side effects.

6) DO rest: Your body needs all its strength to battle whatever is making you sick. Go easy on it and get plenty of sleep

The fevers you are describing are pretty mild, but if your temperature gets over 105 its getting serious. At this point an ER will consider putting someone in an ice bath.

If the temperature climbs much higher than 105 its time to act. Call a neighbor, call a cab, or even call an ambulance, but once your fever gets to 107 you start causing brain damage. Dont take that chance.

ER fact sheet + doctor's recommendations



One thing for sure it's very, very unlikely to be swine fever. If you suspect swine fever you MUST notify the appropriate authorities because it's a notifiable disease. In the UK that is DEFRA. Assuming it isn't swine fever then paracetamol is good for a fever. Trouble is you'll not be capable of diagnosing swine fever yourself, so see a doctor or tell the authorities and they will put you into isolation with appropriate medical treatment.



Chicken Noodle Soup. Warm Tea. Water. Sleep and rest.
But a fever is a way for the body to kill the virus or bacteria in your body. Too many people try and "get rid" of there fever and that's not necessarily a good thing.




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