What to do when your child has fever?

by Midas

a child with fever

Fever is not an illness, it is essential part of body’s defense against infection for it is a sign that your body is fighting the causative agent of an underlying problem. Someone is said to have fever if his or her temperature rises above its own norm.

The normal human body temperature averages 37 degree Celsius or 98.6 degree Fahrenheit. Normally, it is at it lowest in the morning and highest in the evening. However, temperature can be raised when: there is high humidity; high room temperature; you are eating hot food; wearing a heavy clothing; woman is on her menstrual cycle; you are doing physical activity; you suffer from strong emotion; or due to some medications. So, you have to take these into consideration before proclaiming that one of your family members has fever.

Usually, temperatures of children rise rapidly compared to adults. However, we must always remember that high temperature does not necessarily show us the severity of the underlying illness. A slight elevation in temperature in infants and very young children may already show a serious infection. Yes, maybe you can manage to lower your child’s body temperature but you cannot treat the illness that caused your child to have fever. Parents should always remember that fever is just a symptom of an underlying disease. So, they must be vigilant and seek medical advice as soon as possible when their child is having a fever.

Experts say that our metabolic rate rises about 7 percent for every 1 degree Celsius increase in our body temperature. So, the best thing that you can do to help your child with fever aside from seeking help from your doctor is to provide him or her nutritious foods, especially fruits, to boost your child’s immune system. And, since it is our body’s response to sweat when there is a rise in temperature that results in the loss of fluids, you should also encourage your child to drink plenty of liquids for them not to be dehydrated. Of course, you need to ask first your doctor what food and liquids are allowed to be given to your child for they know what is best for their patients.