A fever is your body’s way of fighting an infection during a flu or infection. Suppressing a fever is not advised, as the fever will kill the bacteria and virus. However, high fevers can be dangerous, especially for small children.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a child has a fever when his or her body temperature is higher than 99.5 degrees F, or 37.5 degrees C. An adult has a fever when his or her body temperature exceeds 99 to 99.5 degrees F, or 37.2 to 37.5 degrees C.
Additional reasons for a fever are a response to immunization in children, ear infections, urinary tract infections, certain inflammatory diseases, gastroenteritis, autoimmune disorders, cancer, and blood clots. Sudden change in the weather and unhygienic lifestyle may also contribute to a fever.
Natural medicine has numerous treatments to reduce Ā high fever.
Cold Water
Soak a wash cloth in cool tap water, wring out the excess water and then sponge areas like your armpits, feet, hands and groin to reduce the temperature.
Also, you can place cold, damp washcloths on your forehead and the back of your neck. The cloth pieces should be changed regularly after a few minutes. This remedy is beneficial when dealing with a high fever as it helps keep temperature under control.
Raisins
Raisins help the body fight infections and reduce fevers. They are loaded with phenolic phytonutrients, which are known to have antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Also, raisins act as tonic for your body when you have a fever.
Soak 25 raisins in one-half cup of water for one hour, or until the raisins become soft.
Crush the soaked raisins in the water and strain the liquid.
Add the juice of half a lime to this solution.
Have this twice a day until your fever is gone.
Ginger
Ginger helps the body expel heat, which in turn helps reduce fever. Ginger is natural antiviral and anti inflammatory and helps the immune system fight any kind of infection.
Make ginger tea by adding one-half teaspoon of freshly grated ginger to one cup of boiling water and letting it steep for a few minutes. Add some honey and enjoy this tea three or four times a day.
Another option is to mix together one-half teaspoon of ginger juice, one teaspoon of lemon juice and one tablespoon of honey. Consume this mixture three or four times daily until your fever is gone.
Cinnamon:
Cinnamon is a highly flavorful spice that is widely used in Asian and Mediterranean cooking and was considered of great value in Ancient Egypt. The anti-bacterial and natural warming property of cinnamon helps in treating sore throat, colds and cough and a nice warm cup of cinnamon tea can heal throat irritation, itching and can prevent the approach of an impending cold effectively. It also acts as natural cure for bloating ,gas ,arthritis and reduces the symptoms of PMS. The best way to use cinnamon for treating cold and sore throat is to mix one table spoon of honey with 1/2 table spoon of freshly ground cinnamon and take it 2-3 times a day for 3 days.
Herbal and Green Tea:
Benefits of green tea are innumerable and there is absolutely nothing like relaxing with a cup of tea when suffering from cold, sore throat and runny nose. Herbal teas like chamomile or ginger tea and green tea have a special anti-oxidant known as EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate) that prevents the bacteria and viruses form replicating. The polyphenols and flavonoids present in green tea helps in increasing the resistance power of the body by strengthening the immune system that helps in fighting infectious agents. The best way to reap maximum benefits from green tea is to pour boiling water into a cup and dip a bag of green tea into it and let it soak for 10 minutes, enjoy with a tea spoon of honey.
(If a high fever persists, consult with your medical advisers.)