High fever is common in kids and a common worry for parents as well. If you are a parent, you need to know when the fever is serious, and when you should worry about it. Fever is a defence mechanism of the body. Body temperature rises if any foreign body (or antigen) attacks your body. As a defence, body temperature rises making it an unfavourable condition for the antigen. Fever means 100.4 degree Fahrenheit. Normally for kids, thermometer is placed under the armpit to record the temperature. You need to add an extra degree for accuracy. Paediatricians recommend treatment for fever if it's more than 101 degree F.

When to Call a Doctor

If the kid is less than 4 months old and has a fever of 100.4 degree F with other mentioned symptoms as highlighted, one must see the doctor as an emergency situation.
If a kid has 104 degree F fever, rush to the doctor. Such a high fever in children could lead to seizers.

You must call a doctor if the kid has a fever along with the following symptoms:

    Looks very dizzy
    Has a deteriorated immune system or even any other medical condition
    Has a seizure
    Has symptoms such as rashes, painful throat, annoyance, rigid neck or ear pain

Medication Side Effects:

At times, if you treat your children with some medication that does not suit them, it may lead to high fever. In case fever in a kid aged less than 2 years lasts for more than one day, it's time to see a doctor. And lastly, remember that normal body temperature is 98.6 degree F.

High Fever: When It Should Raise Alarm for Parents

Dengue fever is a disease caused by mosquitoes which mostly occurs in tropical climates. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a type of dengue fever that may lead to decrease in blood pressure and severe bleeding. Dengue may lead to death if the symptoms of this disease are not treated at the right time. The symptoms of this disease are high fever, muscle ache, pain in the eyes, pain in the abdomen and nausea. It may also lead to respiratory problems such as breathing difficulties. Presence of blood in the stool and blood spots around the skin are some other symptoms of dengue.

The symptoms of this disease start after 5 - 9 days after being bitten by the mosquito. The disease usually lasts about 7-8 days. In case the symptoms worsen, the disease may become life threatening. The various methods you can employ to protect yourself from dengue are:

Maintain cleanliness around your surroundings: Make sure you keep your surroundings clean so that mosquito infestations do not occur. Keep your surroundings clean and dry as mosquitoes thrive in moist and humid surroundings.
Mosquito repellants: Spray mosquito repellants to keep your home free from mosquitoes. Spray them keeping the room locked to make it more effective. There are multiple types of repellents available such as liquid or gas repellents.
Clothes: You should preferably wear full sleeved clothes so that your skin is not exposed. It provides additional protection from mosquito bites.
Mosquito nets: Use mosquito nets to protect yourself from mosquitoes when you go to sleep at night. They also provide protection from other insects that may cause infections. 
Don't store waste: Don't store your waste products for long durations as they may turn into a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Clean it regularly and make sure to keep the area dry.
Using natural remedies: You may use natural remedies such as burning camphor as it repels mosquitoes. Take camphor and burn it for 20 minutes in a closed room to get rid of the mosquitoes.

Dengue Fever - 6 Ways You Can Protect Yourself Against it

Chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted to people by the bite of an infectious mosquito known as Aedes Aegypti. The chikungunya infection is most prevalent in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Indian Ocean islands, where various incidents of these disease and certain outbreaks have occurred over the years.

Humans and different animals are the regular hosts for the chikungunya virus, which can turn out to be very painful if it is not treated on time with proper medical care and intervention. The virus is spread to people by the bite of a female mosquito called Aedes aegypti or Aedes Albopictus. These are the same tropical and sub-tropical mosquitoes that spread the dengue virus. They breed in or close to human habitations and want to feed on people during the daytime in shady zones. These are likely to bite you at during the early hours of the evening or at night. The hatching time frame (time from disease to sickness) can be anywhere between two to 12 days.

Symptoms: Chikungunya infection is characterised by the following symptoms:

1. High or blazing fever
2. Extreme joint pain for the most part in the arms and legs
3. Headache
4. Pain in the muscle
5. Pain in the back
6. Body ache
7. Rash (in about 50% of the infected people)

A vast majority begins to feel better following 7 to 10 days but a few people will go through longer term joint pain.

Treatment:

1. There is no particular medicine to prevent chikungunya. There is no antibiotic that can help in doing away with it - it usually abates on its own. Chikungunya treated on the basis of a patient's symptoms. However, there are some precautions and alternate medications that can be used as a cure.

2. Bed rest, liquids, and medication to soothe side effects of fever and hurting. Asprin should be avoided.

3. Personal protection and a hygienic environment is important to prevent the growth of the illness.

Since this virus does not have a vaccine or any particular medicine, one should try to stay away from mosquitos as much as possible. Covering yourself up while travelling, especially in the evening is the best approach to prevent it.

Preventive Tips and Treatment for Chikungunya

Acute viral fever is a type of fever that includes various viral infections, primarily characterized by an increase in the body temperature. This disorder is very common among children and the elderly as they tend to have a weak immune system. Some common characteristics of this condition are skin rashes, body ache and headache.

Causes
The virus that causes this disorder is transmitted from one person to the other. The usual modes of transmission include direct contact, sneezing, coughing and even talking; anything that makes you exposed to physical contact with the body fluids of the infected person. Once the virus enters your body, it can take around 20-48 hours to get activated.

Symptoms
The symptoms of this disorder include a rise in body temperature, vomiting, weakness, loss of taste, swelling of the face. You may feel very lethargic, weak and nauseated. Apart from these symptoms, it may also cause pain in the joints and the stomach. In severe cases, this disease can lead to complications such as arthritis, pneumonia and diarrhea.

Treatment
Antibiotics, analgesics and antipyretics are prescribed when you have viral fever. Apart from the medications, you need to increase fluid intake and take complete bed rest. The body needs to heal; hence being extremely active will be counterproductive to the healing process. Heavy antiviral treatments are prescribed only in severe cases. Apart from medications, there are certain dietary changes that you may have to make to boost the healing process. Avoid spicy and fat laden foods as the digestive system is weak and consumption of such foods may lead to stomach disorders such as diarrhea and acidity. Try keeping your diet restricted to warm soups and fruit juices. Another factor you should be aware of is dehydration, as the body tends to lose fluids during this period. Drink a lot of water and fruit juices to keep your fluid intake at optimal levels.

You can also follow some preventive measure to avoid this disorder:
1. Wash your hands with antibiotic soaps
2. Stay away from crowded places
3. Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands

Acute Viral Fever - Know its Causes and Symptoms

How to prevent dengue fever

A painful, mosquito-borne disease, dengue (pronounced dengue) fever is on the rise. While in some cases, it has proved to be fatal, in most cases dengue is curable. There is no vaccination available to protect against this fever. So the best way to avoid is to take precautions.
Here are a few precautions you can take against dengue.

1. Avoid public spaces - avoid densely populated residential areas, as more the people, more the virus can spread.
2. Use insect protection - use mosquito repellents and nets when indoors. Use repellents when going outdoors; this is especially important for children playing outdoors.
3. Use air cooling - use the fan or the air-conditioning when indoors as the air-cooling drives the mosquitoes away.
4. Prevent entry - close all doors and windows tightly before sunset. Ensure there are no gaps for mosquitoes to come indoors.
5. Check for symptoms - if you have any of the symptoms, consult your doctor. It is advisable to keep yourself aware about the symptoms so one can react quickly if needed. Some of the symptoms are:

Severe headaches.
Nausea.
Vomiting.
Sudden rise in body temperature.
Mild bleeding in the gums or nose.
Severe muscle and joint pain.
Acute pain behind the eyes.

The one confusing part of dengue fever is that it can be mistaken for normal fever upon onset. However, it can develop to serious problem. People with a weak immune system and people who have had dengue before, are at the higher risks of contracting this again, and at a bigger scale.



Prevent The Dangerous DENGUE Fever - Follow These Simple Steps

According to Ayurveda,  Jwara  or fever refers to the irregularities of body temperature. In majority of the cases, there is reduced heat in the GIT (gastrointestinal tract) and an increased temperature in the external body. Fever might be a symptom of a disease or can be a disease in itself. According to Ayurveda, fever happens because of an imbalance in the following doshas:
1. Vata
2. Aghantuja
3. Pitta
4. Kapha
5. Vata-Kapha
6. Vata-Pitta
7. Vata-Pitta-Kapha
8. Pitta-Kapha

Fever Management Rules
Light food or fasting is advised at the early stage of fever. This helps in drawing away heat from the external parts nd shifts it to the center. You should drink warm water in all fevers, except Pitta fever. Doing so balances the stomach heat. Warm liquid foods that include sago or barley should be consumed. Vegetable soup help as well, but astringent foods should be avoided at the early stages of the fever. During the early fever stages, antipyretic medications are to be avoided. These medicines reduce the stomach s temperature and by doing so, render the Ayurvedic treatment redundant as the GIT s heat is lowered.

General fever treatment therapies

Sudarshana Choorna should be taken twice daily and about 2 grams should suffice. This  Choorna  can be taken along with any of the above mentioned treatments.
Vasaka leaf is another simple remedy for treating fever. It should be mixed with  Shukti Bhasma  (10%) and should be taken twice daily in 2 gram doses.
Ginger tea is another remedy that always turns out to be comforting and is of great value. Consume a concoction made by adding half a teaspoon of fennel seeds, cinnamon, ginger powder and a little clove to a hot cup of water helps. The herbs should be soaked for about 10 minutes. They should be filtered afterwards before drinking the tea. It should be kept in mind that both ginger and aspirin dilute the blood. Thus, ginger tea should be avoided for two hours after consuming aspirin.
Fasting for about a day is advised for fever without any other symptom as the body gets rid of toxins. A strict diet regimen should be followed after consulting a doctor. Steamed vegetables without spices are recommended.

Suffering from Fever? Try these Ayurvedic Remedies

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