Symptoms of high fever

High fever is not a disease, but it is usually a symptom of the disease that is often caused by an infection.

Depending on age, state of health and cause of fever:

• treatment is necessary,
• you can wait for the fever to go away on its own.

Fever is a natural defense mechanism of the body against infections because the high temperature:

• hinders the survival and reproduction of viruses, bacteria and other harmful organisms that need a temperature of around 37 ° C;
• increases the metabolic activity of the body cells, which strengthens the immune system.

As a rule, fever is not dangerous.
Nevertheless, with a very high fever, the body is no longer able to control the body temperature.

What is high fever?

The normal body temperature should be:

• Measurement in the mouth around 36.8 ° ± 0.7 °;
• an axillary temperature (measured under the armpits) that is above 37.1º is considered a fever (or pyrexia).

• in the evening and in the night higher,
• at the morning is lower because the body burns less nutrients during sleep.

High fever in infants and children

High fever in young children can cause brain damage, which can have long-term effects, such as:

The infant’s or toddler’s immune system is not yet as strong as that of adults, so you have to be careful.
Babies have a higher body temperature than adults.

• newborn: for children under 3 months, a rectal temperature of 38ºC (corresponds to 37.5 ° C under the armpits) means fever.
• toddlersfrom 3 to 6 months: an internal temperature of 38.8-39 ° C (external body temperature 38.3 ° C) means high fever.
• Infants over 6 months: from the 6th month of life a body temperature of 39.4ºC is understood as a high fever.

Fever measurement in newborns

The most reliable values ​​when measuring fever in babies are obtained with a rectal electrothermometer.
In contrast to armpit temperature, rectal measurement measures the body’s internal temperature, which is 0.5 degrees higher.

When do you have to worry about high fever?

1. Small children and adults: If you have a fever of over 40 °, you should go to the doctor or hospital.
2. If the fever persists (longer than two days).
3. If other symptoms appear.

Possible accompanying symptoms of high fever

Persistent high fever is a cause for concern. The following symptoms can appear in the body:
1. Confusion (limited thinking ability)
2. Epilepsy or convulsions (rare, only in children with a genetic background)
3. Fatigue (loss of energy)
4. Dark urine (dark yellow color) – may indicate liver problems
5. Abnormal behavior or delusions
6. White-coated tongue
7. Rashes: spots and red spots on the skin (especially in children who may have measles, chickenpox, rubella, etc.)
8. Neck coverings – for example in the case of throat or tonsillitis
9. Abdominal pain (for example with gastroenteritis)
10. Enlarged lymph nodes, for example if the patient has AIDS, mononucleosis, herpes, etc.
11. racing heart (tachycardia)
12. Headache, joint pain, and muscle pain are other common symptoms of seasonal flu.

High fever is not a symptom of pregnancy.

Possible accompanying symptoms of high fever in children

1. The child is irritable.
2. It doesn’t want to eat or play.
3. It could sleep a lot or not at all.
4. Breathing faster, may have difficulty breathing (wheezing).
5. Difficulty breathing can lead to blue lips.
6. to cough.
7. earache.
8. The child is very warm or very cold.
9. Sometimes vomiting continues and the child becomes pale.

Causes of high fever in adults

The causes of high fever include:

Contact with toxins or an allergic reaction to medication can cause a high fever in adults.

pancreatitis: This is a condition with inflammation of the pancreas.
Pancreatitis is characterized by:

The disease results from the activation of digestive enzymes. This can lead to:

heatstroke: A heat stroke arises after a long stay in the sun. If a person is in an excessively hot environment, his body temperature can rise to over 40 ° C.
Dehydration and prolonged exercise can cause this disorder.
With appropriate therapy, the fever only lasts for 1 day.

viral infection: Virus infections such as colds and seasonal influenza are the most common causes of high fever in children and adults.
The main symptom of a cold is a stuffy nose. In addition, you feel:

There is usually a mild fever.
Fever at flu takes at least 4-5 days. But relapses take longer, at least a week.
If the infection is severe, the temperature can exceed 39 ° and:

Immediate therapy is required in these cases.

AIDS: AIDS is a syndrome that can be caused by the HIV virus. The HIV virus weakens the immune system more and more and can cause high, intermittent fever.

Bacterial infections: Bacterial infections that cause pneumonia and bronchitis and affect the respiratory tract are other factors responsible for fever.
The patient:

Bacteria that affect the intestinal tract cause:

There may be an increase in body temperature.

malaria: High fever in adults can also be caused by infection with a parasite that spreads through a mosquito bite.
Malaria arises from the bite of the Anopheles mosquito and those who suffer from this disease also suffer from:

• Nausea and vomiting,
• excessive sweating,
• a headache,
• chills.

Lyme disease: Lyme disease is caused by a tick bite and can cause various symptoms, including:

• high fever,
• muscle pain,
• a headache.

Without therapy, this disease can become very dangerous and cause damage to:

childbirth: High fever after childbirth (higher than 38 °) should not be underestimated, because it can be caused by:

• Infection of the uterus,
• Episiotomy infection.

tumor: Some types of tumors can cause a high fever, especially in an advanced stage, such as a liver tumor.

Causes of high fever in children

The causes of high fever in growing children are:

• Viral and bacterial infections
• Allergy to certain medications
• Eruption of teeth
• vaccinations
• otitis: This is a bacterial or fungal infection that affects the ears. It can cause:

• severe earache,
• high fever,
• itching,
• white discharge from the ears,
• hearing loss.

meningitis: The protective skins of the brain and spinal cord are called meninges. If these skins become inflamed, one speaks of meningitis.
Sudden high fever and neck pain are the most common symptoms of meningitis. The thermometer usually shows a temperature above 39.5 ° C.

What to do? What medicine to take? How to lower the fever?

High fever indicates that the immune system is busy defending the body against infection.
If the body temperature drops due to medication, the disease can be prolonged because an increased temperature promotes immune protection of the organism.
When infected, the body tries to fight it by increasing the temperature. This creates an unfavorable climate for bacteria.

When is treatment necessary??
With high fever, damage to other organs must be prevented.
Adults with a fever below 40 ° do not have to worry because this does not lead to complications. It is therefore better to avoid antipyretics (medication to lower fever).

drugs
The doctor usually prescribes paracetamol (e.g. Ben-u-ron) to lower body temperature.
If the fever with acetaminophen does not go away within a few days, there may be a serious infection in the body.
It is important to describe all symptoms to the doctor (e.g. sensitivity to light, rashes or breathing difficulties), because this can be important for:

Anti-inflammatories have an antipyretic effect. The most prescribed tablets are Nurofen® (Ibuprofen).

When are antibiotics needed??
In bacterial infections, the doctor prescribes antibiotics to fight the bacteria.
If the disease is caused by viruses, antibiotics do not help.

Natural remedies and home remedies for fever

Medications to fight fever without medication include:

hydration
Drinking water is a way to naturally lower fever.
In this way, the water that is lost is replaced by:

• heavy sweating,
• Vomiting (if it occurs).

Do not drink too much water, because the liquid can accumulate in the body and cause swelling.

Rest
It is important to rest and refrain from physical activity or effort in order to restore normal body temperature.
The goal is to help the body emit unwanted substances and microbes.

Holy basil
The brew of the holy basil (Ocimum sanctum) is a good means of lowering the fever.
For the preparation, boil 1 liter of water with 25 g of the leaves of the holy basil until the liquid becomes viscous.
Serve with cardamom powder.

Normal basil leaves can be used to make a juice.

• Wash and crush the fresh leaves to make the juice.
• Dilute a tablespoon of basil juice with a glass of water and
• Drink 2 to 3 times a day.

Body temperature should drop quickly.

Cold washes
A traditional home remedy for lowering high fever is the bath with a sponge. A cold bath as a treatment to lower fever is controversial.
To make sure, you can do cold washes at regular intervals with a damp sponge under the armpits, on the forehead, on the back and on other areas of the body.

Citrus juice
Grapefruit, orange and lemon juice are effective in lowering fever.
These substances:

• have a cooling effect,
• reduce thirst,
• nourish the body,
• strengthen the immune system in the fight against infections.

Tamarind tea
Tamarind has an antimicrobial effect and is used to combat:

• Crush the tamarind leaves with a piece of turmeric.
• Pour hot water into a glass.
• Drink the infusion.

Homemade fruit juice
Juice from fresh apricots or other fresh fruit is a natural tonic and effective in treating fever.
Prepare the juice as follows:

• Wash 500 g of ripe apricots.
• Cut the fruit into small pieces.
• Put in a saucepan.
• Add half a liter of water.
• Heat on a low flame for 10 minutes.
• Switch off the stove.
• Add the juice of a lemon.
• Whisk everything.
• Dilute with water.
• Add a teaspoon of honey to increase the therapeutic properties.
• Mix well and serve.

Instead of apricots, other seasonal fruits can also be used, such as:

Honey, lemon and ginger
An ancient way to fight viral infections is to prepare a drink made from honey, lemon juice and ginger.
A fever caused by a virus can be cured by drinking a drink consisting of:

• 1 glass of hot water,
• 1 tsp honey,
• Juice from 1 lemon,
• crushed ginger.

You should take this drink two or three times a day.

Use of alcohol in high fever
Alcohol cools the skin because it evaporates quickly.
The use of alcohol is discouraged for the following reasons:

• If the child’s body is cooled too quickly with alcohol or a cool bath, the child may begin to tremble, further increasing the body temperature.
• In addition, alcohol can be absorbed through the skin and inhaled as well. So there is a risk of alcohol poisoning.

Beware of ice fever
Avoid placing ice packs on the head or in the groin area, as this could have the opposite effect, i.e. increase the internal temperature of the body.

Diet and nutrition for high fever

According to natural medicine and hygiene, nutrition plays the most important role in recovery.
According to the hygienists, one needs to heal quickly do nothing and avoid:

• Medicines (considered poison),
• Remedies and herbal teas (because they increase the number of toxins in the organism).

Light and natural food based on fruits and vegetables is the best way to get well soon.
A short fasting certainly has the greatest effect (if there are no contraindications).
If the patient has no appetite due to the fever, one should not go against nature and persuade him to eat.

chicken broth has always been considered a fundamental cure, but in reality all toxins are absorbed from the muscles of the animal during cooking.
Therefore, eating chicken broth increases the toxicity of the body and slows recovery.

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