An elevated temperature accompanies many diseases and is a sign that the body is independently struggling with various infections. If she rose to 38 degrees, this does not pose any threat to an adult or child. But if the mark on the thermometer is higher than this value, then you should figure out how to lower the temperature. For this, different medications or alternative methods can be used.
Why does the temperature rise?
An increase in temperature indicates that there is an infection with which the body has to fight. Due to this, the rapid production of antibodies is ensured, and various biochemical reactions are also accelerated. This leads to the death of various viruses. Many people are wondering if it is necessary to bring down the temperature of 38 degrees. Pediatricians and therapists argue that this state of the body is considered non-hazardous. Do not use different antipyretic drugs and methods if the thermometer shows less than 38.5 ° C.
There are many reasons why the temperature rises. In children, this may be due to teething or the presence of a viral infection. Temperature is only a symptom, and the cause of the disease must be eliminated.
What is the danger?
Too high a temperature can lead to negative consequences:
- the load on the heart increases, which is dangerous for both children and adults, especially if they have congenital malformations or other problems with the cardiovascular system;
- heat affects the nervous system;
- may have a negative effect on the brain.
If the temperature rises to 40 degrees or more, it can cause irreversible effects on the brain, kidneys, pancreas or liver. Therefore, it is so important to know how to lower the temperature quickly and efficiently.
How to act as an adult?
The temperature can rise in adults for various reasons. At the same time, they decide whether any drugs will be used to reduce heat or whether alternative methods will be effective.
It is advisable to start to bring down the heat only when raising the thermometer to the level of 39-39.5 degrees. If the numbers are below this value, then the body should be given the opportunity to cope with the infection on its own.
Medications for adults
How to lower the temperature in an adult if medicines are chosen for this? In pharmacies, a huge assortment of different drugs is available that can cope with this task. They are created on the basis of various active substances.
Before taking a medicine for temperature, you need to carefully study the instructions to determine which dose is optimal for an adult, what contraindications are, and how to avoid an overdose. Otherwise, taking any drug may be ineffective or may cause allergic reactions.
Most often, adults purchase drugs:
- Nurofen It allows you to eliminate not only the fever, but also the pain syndrome, which often appears with various infections. Available in the form of tablets or syrup. The amount of medicine depends on the age and weight of the person.
- "Aspirin". Effective for fever, but you need to drink pills after eating. It has a negative effect on the stomach, therefore it is usually taken in soluble or crushed form.
- "Analgin." Not only helps to eliminate heat, but can also suspend the inflammatory process. Available in the form of tablets, suppositories or injectable solutions.
- Ibuprofen It is prescribed even for pregnant women and children. It allows you to bring down the temperature very quickly, and also stops inflammation and relieves pain.
- Viferon. Presented in the form of candles, gels or ointments. Suitable for use by children. The main purpose of its use is the suppression of viruses, which are the cause of the heat.
There are many other drugs that can be used by adults. Before lowering the temperature by any means, you must consult a doctor for advice.
Folk remedies for adults
Many people are interested in how to bring down the temperature without drugs. The fact is that the fever can last a long time, so you have to take a lot of pills. They have a negative effect on the kidneys, stomach or other organs.
Some people may have an allergy to various components of antipyretic drugs. Therefore, it is important for them to know how to lower the temperature at home without the use of drugs. For this, different folk remedies can be used.
Decoctions
Such drugs are usually harmless and yet effective. To create decoctions, different berries, herbs, fruits, and even some types of vegetables are used. When choosing components, the individual characteristics of each person should be taken into account, since the wrong choice of components can cause allergic reactions.
How to lower body temperature with broths? To do this, you need to make an optimal solution, after which it is taken orally with a certain frequency or enemas are made of it. The most effective and popular are decoctions from:
- Daisies Enema can be made from fresh broth, but this is allowed only for people who do not have any problems with the gastrointestinal tract. To create a solution, pour 2 tbsp of boiling water. l chamomile flowers. Next, in a water bath, the mixture must be heated for 15 minutes. The resulting composition is filtered, and then diluted with 100 ml of boiled water.
- Raspberries. To create a decoction, you need dry shoots, as well as leaves and berries. All elements are well crushed, after which 1 tbsp. l the mixture is poured 125 ml of boiling water. The composition warms up in a water bath for 15 minutes, after which it cools and is filtered. The resulting amount of solution is drunk in 8 hours.
- Limes. Preparation: 1 tbsp. l flowers is poured 100 ml of boiling water. The resulting solution is well mixed, and filtered after cooling. To enhance the effect, it is recommended to add a little honey to it. This broth is used 4 times a day until the heat passes.
Now you know how to bring down the temperature without medication. The preparation of the above decoctions does not take much time, the raw materials are available, and the benefits of such drugs are much greater than the use of medicines, especially if a person is allergic to certain substances, such as analgin or aspirin, which happens quite often. However, it should be remembered that seemingly harmless herbs are still medicines, and like any medicine, they have contraindications and features of administration. In addition, you must first make sure that there is no allergy to the components used.
Heavy drink
It can be represented by warm tea, various decoctions or clean drinking water. A large amount of warm water provides good perspiration, which helps to reduce the temperature.
Instead of sugar, it is advisable to use honey.
Wiping
Various means can be used for this, but vinegar or alcohol are considered the most effective, the latter being replaced by vodka.
Wipe all parts of the body. Especially much attention is paid to the armpits and bends at the elbows and knees. After the procedure, you need to lie on the bed without a blanket, which will allow the liquid to evaporate. This eliminates the heat. During this process, a person will experience severe cold, but you must overcome yourself and not cover yourself.
Compresses
How to lower the temperature if there is no way to take medication? An effective method is cooling the body. Cool compresses are a good choice.
For this, solutions are created, and the yarrow broth is most often used for these purposes. In this tool, you need to wet a towel, which is then applied to the forehead, temples or wrists. Compresses change as often as possible.
How to reduce fever for pregnant women?
Pregnant women cannot use standard medications, as they can cause significant harm to the fetus. Therefore, the question often arises of "how to lower the temperature during pregnancy." Initially, when a fever occurs, you must consult a doctor to determine the cause, and then consult on safe methods for controlling fever.
An expectant mother alone can only provide herself with a plentiful drink. Also cool compresses will not hurt. But the use of any herbs or solutions is strictly prohibited without the advice of a doctor.
How to treat children?
All parents should know what to give the child from the temperature. It can appear in babies for various reasons:
- vaccination;
- teething;
- the presence of various infections in the body.
What temperature can be knocked down? Parents should understand that the children's body can and must cope with various infections. That is why if the temperature does not rise above 38 degrees, it is not recommended to use any means against fever.
However, in no case should it be allowed that the temperature rises to 40 degrees. Therefore, you need to know how to lower the baby's body temperature with safe and effective methods.
Quality and safe baby medicines
Every year in pharmacies there are more and more different drugs that can be given to children of different ages. However, each medicine that lowers the temperature should first be carefully examined by the parents. They must make sure that it is safe, appropriate for the age of the child, and also does not contain components that can cause allergies.
Most often, pediatricians prescribe medications to small patients, which include:
- Paracetamol. It is an active ingredient in the preparations of Tsefekon, Panadol and some other drugs that help with severe heat in children. Paracetamol is rapidly absorbed and also has an anti-inflammatory effect.
- Analgin. Preparations based on it are available in the form of a powder, solution, rectal suppositories or tablets. Such temperature medicines are effective and are often used for children. Not only reduces heat, but also has an analgesic effect.
- Ibuprofen. Contained in "Nurofen", which is the most popular remedy for heat. For children, the medicine is available in the form of a syrup with different tastes. The package has a special dispenser that allows you to quickly and easily determine the right amount of product. Ibuprofen not only relieves fever, but also eliminates pain, which is especially important for pain during teething.
The pharmaceutical business is very well developed today. Preparations for children are available in the form of suspensions or suppositories, as well as tablets or solutions in ampoules. Choosing what to give the child from the temperature, focus on the age of the baby and the recommendations of the doctor. You can not self-medicate.
Folk remedies for children
What to do at a high temperature in a child, if you do not want to resort to medications for certain reasons? Often, parents give preference to proven folk remedies, justifying their decision by the fact that it was our grandmothers and grandmothers who successfully used broths and infusions for more than a decade. This allows the body to cope with inflammation itself.
All this is true, however, doctors warn: using these methods is permissible only at a low temperature, which does not exceed 38.2 degrees, and if it is above 39 degrees, it is already necessary to resort to more effective methods.
Wiping
The easiest method to reduce the temperature by a few degrees. It is based on the principle of evaporation of moisture, since after this process any surface is cooled. For wiping, vinegar or vodka diluted in water can be used. Although some doctors have not recommended such drugs for a long time, preferring steep saline.
How to bring down the temperature of vinegar to a child? For this, sequential actions are performed:
- initially you need to undress the baby;
- a soft napkin or sponge is prepared;
- it is wetted in a solution containing a small amount of the drug (1 tablespoon of 6% table vinegar is used per half liter of water);
- the back of the child is gently wiped, as well as the folds in the knees and elbows.
Many parents are interested in the question of how to bring down the temperature of vinegar to a child, since this method, as they say, has passed the test of time. However, many pediatricians today, including Dr. Komarovsky, who is so popular in our country, strongly oppose vinegar and alcohol wipes. Firstly, a concentrated product can burn delicate skin, and secondly, it is not recommended that the baby breathe it in pairs. Modern experts, as an alternative, propose to use just water at room temperature or cool brine.
Ice
An important principle in reducing heat is cooling the body. To do this, you can use ice, but you can not go too far with this tool.
It is advisable to crush a small amount of ice, and then put in a dense plastic bag. Then it is applied to those parts of the body where the largest vessels are located. For example, to the armpits, pits under the knees, and even to the inguinal folds. A thin towel or napkin should be placed between the ice pack and the skin, otherwise too unpleasant sensations will arise.
Enema
This method of controlling fever not only helps to lower the temperature, but also allows you to cleanse the body of decay products. You can use both room temperature water and various decoctions.
A hypertonic solution is often used, for which 200 ml of warm water is mixed with 2 tsp. salt. Also considered to be a camomile enema, for the preparation of which it is necessary to pour 3 tbsp. l flowers by a glass of water. The resulting solution should be boiled for about 15 minutes. Then it is filtered and cooled, after which it can be used. It is advisable to add 1 tbsp. l vegetable oil.
The amount of water used depends on the age of the child. For newborns, no more than 30 ml is needed, and for a child older than three years old, about 300 ml is needed. This option is not suitable if the patient has a heart defect or is prone to seizures.
Natural antipyretic
Many plants and fruits contain special ingredients that are natural antipyretic agents. These include: salicylic acid, which is found in many medicines.
It is also advisable to give children who have a fever, citrus fruits and prunes, cherries or strawberries. They can not only be eaten fresh, but also boiled compote from them or make jam. The best option is to mix 100 ml of lemon juice with the same amount of orange and apple. To them is added 75 ml of tomato juice. Use this composition immediately after manufacture.
Many plants increase perspiration, which helps to normalize the temperature. For this, decoctions and infusions from raspberries or linden, oregano or buds of birch are perfectly suitable. Tea can be made from these herbs, so their action together with a plentiful drink will surely give the desired results.
Effective is a decoction of different herbs. For example, mixed in 2 tbsp. l dry raspberries and coltsfoot. To them is added 1 tbsp. l oregano. The mixture is poured with 2 cups boiling water and infused for 20 minutes. Then the solution is filtered, after which it is drunk by the child (1 glass during the day).
Before giving the child any remedy, you should make sure that he is not allergic to herbs or honey.
When should you not use cooling methods?
Many people think about what to do at a high temperature, when medications do not help or cannot be used for various reasons. In such a situation, cooling methods are often used, but they are not always safe. It is not allowed to use them:
- during cold hyperthermia, when fever is accompanied by chills;
- if the temperature rises in a child who is not yet 1 year old;
- if the baby has a heart defect or is prone to seizures.
If you urgently need to lower the temperature before the ambulance arrives, then only rubbing with a cloth soaked in room temperature water is allowed.
What can not be done
At high temperatures it is forbidden:
- to wrap children or cover adults with a warm blanket;
- rub vinegar or vodka into the skin, so you just need to lightly touch the body (of course, we are not talking about concentrated products, but about weak solutions);
- carry out inhalation;
- use warming compresses or warmings;
- To do a massage;
- force-feed the baby;
- consume cold drinks;
- bathe or take a hot shower.
Thus, it is possible to lower the temperature in an adult or a child in various ways. For this, drugs or numerous folk remedies are used. It is advisable to use tablets or suspensions if the temperature rises above 39 degrees. In other cases, you can do simple folk recipes, but it is important to make sure that the person does not suffer from allergic reactions.