There are various ways to lower a high fever that you can easily do at home. Although it can go away on its own, high fever often causes discomfort for the sufferer, especially when accompanied by other symptoms such as headaches.
High fever is usually characterized by an increase in body temperature of 39°C or more. This condition is actually normal to occur as a form of reaction from the immune system, either due to vaccination, infection, or certain diseases in the body.
Fever often resolves on its own without treatment. However, there are some simple ways you can do to relieve fever and deal with the discomfort it causes.
How to Lower a High Fever
There are several ways to lower a high fever that you can try, including:
1. Get enough rest
The first way to reduce a high fever is to get enough rest to speed up the recovery process and lower body temperature. In addition, you need to limit physical activity and get at least 8-9 hours of sleep every day.
2. Take a bath or compress using warm water
Bathing with warm water can be an alternative to relieve high fever. This is because warm water can dilate blood vessels and pores, so that heat escapes from the body and lowers body temperature.
In addition to bathing with warm water, you can also apply warm compresses to the forehead and armpits to reduce high fever naturally.
3. Consume lots of water
When you have a fever, your body is more at risk of becoming dehydrated. To prevent this, you need to increase the consumption of water. In addition to consuming water, dehydration can also be prevented by consuming warm soup or fresh fruit juice.
4. Wear light clothing
When the fever is high, you should avoid using thick clothes and blankets. This actually risks increasing your body temperature. So, it’s better to use light clothes, but still comfortable. Also, make sure the room temperature remains cool.
5. Consumption of fever-reducing drugs
You can also take over-the-counter fever-reducing medications, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol. In addition to lowering body temperature, these drugs can also relieve headaches that often accompany symptoms of high fever.
Fever-reducing drugs need to be consumed according to the instructions for use listed on the product. To be on the safe side, for those of you who have certain medical conditions, such as being pregnant, it is recommended to take fever reducers according to the doctor’s advice.
After you have taken steps to reduce a high fever, the fever will generally subside, even disappearing on its own within a few days.
However, you need to see a doctor if you have tried all ways to reduce a high fever but the fever does not improve for more than 3 days or is accompanied by other symptoms, such as diarrhea, persistent vomiting, seizures, or fainting.