Fever - How To Handle It Well?

The fever itself isn’t a disease but a symptom of a disease. It is generally caused when the immune system heats itself to fight the infections that enter our body. One of the most common reasons a person catches a fever is due to Influenza or the common cold.

Though fever is a common symptom, it can aggravate very quickly if not taken care of properly. This article will educate patients how to take care of themselves if they have a fever. The first and foremost step of taking care is to go to a doctor and get a proper diagnosis.

Upon a proper diagnosis, one can determine the kind of fever they are having. If someone has a fever due to diseases like Malaria then the course of action will be quite different. However, following are the common steps for most of the fevers:

Do’s: While Having a Fever

The first step is to keep a proper check of the temperature every 2 hours. For that, it is advisable to keep a thermometer handy. For better accuracy, it is better to carry a digital one.
The next step is to keep the patient hydrated as fever usually leads to loss of appetite. This can cause dehydration and loss of nutrients.
Drinking water isn’t enough to battle dehydration, which is why the patient will need to take the ORS solution every 15 minutes.
If the temperature rises, one should soak a cloth in cool water and put it on the forehead for a few minutes.
If the temperature keeps rising, the patient should take Paracetamol only.
Get a blood check by calling a local pathology technician and subsequently send the report to the doctor to get a proper diagnosis.

Don'ts: While Having a Fever

Don’t take an Antibiotic unless the doctor prescribes it.
The fever may cause temporary body pain and stiffness; don’t take Ibuprofen and other painkillers to get rid of it.
Don’t take any kind of NSAIDS without doctor’s supervision.
Don’t take any kind of dairy products or junk food.
Don’t starve because of the loss of appetite.
Don’t agitate by doing any kind of household work or exercise.
Don’t sleep with the air conditioning on.
Avoid drinking and smoking while having a fever.
If the doctor prescribed antibiotics, don’t quit halfway. It is important that one must complete the course of antibiotics.
Don’t take a bath while having a fever; it is better to clean the body with a soaked cloth or sponge.

Conclusion:

Though fever is a fairly common disease, the treatment can go haywire if the usage of certain medicines isn’t done properly. Following the above instructions will help to take care of when someone has a fever and will help to get better. However, if the fever isn’t going down after 2-3 days, one should see a doctor immediately.