How to bring down a high fever for no reason?

Whatever the cause of the temperature, its increase, even a strong one, is not a reason to panic. First, you need to remember whether there was an event the day before that could provoke such a reaction of the body. In children under 2.5 years old, first of all, it is worth checking the teeth and gums and observing how the temperature changes over 1-2 days.

In most cases, high temperature without a reason occurs against the background of respiratory viral pathologies. The appearance of other symptoms can be held back by a fairly strong immune system. Do not rush to bring down the temperature until it rises to 38-39 degrees. Such a temperature is relatively safe for a person. Another thing is that not everyone can tolerate it.

If the increase in temperature causes severe weakness, a strong deterioration in the general condition, the body needs help. But for this it is not at all necessary to immediately resort to the help of antipyretic pharmaceutical drugs, which have certain side effects and may not have the best effect on the health of various organs. The condition can be alleviated with the help of popular folk remedies: drinking plenty of herbal infusions, eating foods with a high content of vitamin C (it will prevent blood clotting and help the immune system in its difficult work), taking "ascorbic acid", rubbing with water or other effective compounds.

All of the above procedures will be useful regardless of what caused the temperature increase. They certainly cannot cause harm, but they are quite capable of maintaining the water-salt balance and holding back further increases in the thermometer column.

If the temperature continues to rise and there is no way to call a doctor immediately, what medications can you try to bring it down to normal levels? Usually, there is no need to buy expensive medications for these purposes. Most often, it is enough to take budget drugs: "Aspirin" (acetylsalicylic acid) or "Paracetamol", which are best kept in stock in every medicine cabinet. By the way, if you read the annotation of many expensive children's and adult medications, you can often easily find one of these components in their composition.

As for Paracetamol, there is an opinion that this drug helps to bring down the temperature mainly in viral infections. If the cause of the disease is a bacterial infection, the effect of the drug will be short-term. Thus, Paracetamol can be useful for self-diagnosis of diseases before the doctor arrives.

Since an increase in temperature is often associated with inflammatory processes, there will be no harm from the use of NSAIDs. Ibuprofen, Nimid, Nimesulide, Nise, Analgin (not everyone knows, but this drug also reduces temperature, and not only relieves pain, like many drugs classified as analgesics), Pentalgin, etc. have anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic properties.

If a child has a high temperature and folk remedies do not help to return it to normal, you can resort to the help of the above-mentioned means, but in a smaller dosage. And it is better to buy children's forms of drugs in advance ("Paracetamol" in the form of a suspension or syrup, "Panadol" or "Efferalgan" in the form of syrup and suppositories, suppositories "Tsefekon D" or "Ibuprofen", suspension "Calpol" and other drugs).

By the way, using medications for fever and fever in the form of rectal suppositories will help to avoid side effects on the stomach, typical of medications in tablet form. They are best used not only by children, but also by adults who have problems with the digestive system.

Drug therapy is usually recommended at temperatures above 38 degrees. But there are some groups of people who will have to take care of normalizing their temperature much earlier, when the thermometer column crosses the 37.5 mark. We are talking about patients with pathologies of the nervous system and a tendency to convulsions. During pregnancy, it is not recommended to tolerate a temperature above 38 degrees, but in the last stages, you need to take care of its normalization already when the thermometer shows 37.5 degrees.

If the temperature does not rise above subfebrile values, but persists for several days, you should not postpone a visit to the doctor, but there is also no point in bringing down a non-dangerous temperature without need when you feel normal, especially in cases where it is not known for certain what caused it to rise.

Fever medications

Well, it seems the time has come to get to know the drugs that will help to calm a high temperature, regardless of whether it arose without a reason or is accompanied by other symptoms that signal the rampant inflammatory process. To reduce the temperature in children and adults, it is customary to use drugs based on acetylsalicylic acid and paracetamol.

Even in Soviet times, doctors recommended that adults take ½ aspirin and 1 paracetamol tablet at the same time (the children's dose is 2-4 times less). But today, acetylsalicylic acid has fallen out of favor with doctors due to its harmful effects on the stomach and its ability to act on organs like some viruses. For adults, the drug will not cause much harm; on the contrary, it will help thin the blood. But in children, it can provoke Reye's syndrome with damage to the liver and brain. This disease is classified as rare, but high mortality rates (every fifth child dies) require a certain amount of caution.

But paracetamol, no matter how much controversy there is around it, is still actively used to reduce fever in children and adults. On pharmacy shelves you can find many fever medications based on this component (Paracetamol tablets and almost all of the above medications for children, with rare exceptions).

"Paracetamol" is an inexpensive analgesic that simultaneously has an antipyretic and some anti-inflammatory effect. It is available in the form of tablets (200, 325 and 500 mg), capsules (325 mg), syrup (50, 60 and 100 ml bottles), suspension (100 and 200 ml bottles) and rectal suppositories (suppositories with a dosage of 80, 170 and 330 mg). It is used to relieve pain and combat hyperthermia against the background of inflammatory diseases.

Tablets and capsules are the forms that are used to treat patients over 3 years old. We will not talk about any specific dosages, because these are tablets for fever, which means they should be taken as needed. But it is worth mentioning the limit doses, which will help to avoid an overdose.

Thus, children under 6 years of age can be given no more than 1-2 g of the drug in tablets per day (0.06 g per kilogram of the child's weight). Children under 12 years of age can take no more than 2 g of paracetamol per day, and adults - no more than 3-4 g.

A suspension with different flavors is a form of the drug used in pediatrics from the age of 1 month. The bottle is equipped with a measuring spoon, which allows you to accurately adhere to the prescribed dosage. Infants up to 3 months are prescribed 2 ml of the drug per dose, babies up to one year should take 2-2.5 ml of suspension, children up to 6 years - 5-10 ml, older children - from 10 to 20 ml per dose. When calculating the daily dose, you need to remember that it should not exceed 0.06 g of paracetamol per kilogram of the child's weight (5 ml of suspension contains 120 mg of the active substance).

For children from 1 month to 3 years old, the rectal form of the drug in the form of suppositories is also designed. A single dose of the drug in this case should not be more than 0.015 g per kilogram of weight. When using suppositories to treat children over 3 years old and adults, it should be remembered that the dosage in this case should be higher, but not more than the maximum values specified for tablets.

Syrup is a form of medicine that can be used to treat fever in patients over 3 months of age. Infants are given 2.5-5 ml of syrup, children aged 1-5 years are given 5-10 ml, and children under 12 years can be given up to 20 ml of sweet medicine per dose. Patients weighing over 60 kg can take 4 to 8 teaspoons of medicine, which is probably not very convenient compared to tablets, especially considering that the frequency of taking the medicine is usually 3-4 times a day.

Who is contraindicated to take paracetamol? Patients who have increased sensitivity to the components of the form of the drug used, as well as those who have been diagnosed with kidney and liver dysfunction (organ failure). If we are talking about the rectal form, it is not used in case of inflammatory processes localized in the rectum.

Speaking about the side effects of the drug, it should be mentioned right away that it is not recommended to take it in high doses for a long time, as this will negatively affect the liver. Other unpleasant symptoms may include: renal colic and kidney inflammation, development of anemia, changes in blood composition, drowsiness or overexcitation of the central nervous system, weakening of the contractile ability of the myocardium, nausea and pain along the gastrointestinal tract, allergic reactions, including Quincke's edema. Fortunately, side effects from taking the drug develop infrequently.

"Ibuprofen" is the second most popular drug taken for inflammation and fever. For many people, this drug is a lifesaver for use in various situations: colds, inflammation, pain syndrome, high temperature without cause or accompanied by other symptoms of the disease. The low price of the tablets and the minimal risk of developing side effects attract many people, so it is a permanent resident in home medicine cabinets.

We are more accustomed to the fact that a drug with such a name is light pink tablets in a shell. But in fact, there are many other forms of release of this drug: effervescent tablets, capsules, ointment and gel, ampoules with injection solution, as well as suppositories and suspension, which are used in pediatric practice and for the treatment of adult patients.

What forms of the drug make sense to use for fever? All, except for forms for local use, which are intended more for relieving pain and inflammation in muscles and joints. Injections of the drug are also used for other purposes.

How to use the drug correctly for heat and fever? Manufacturers recommend taking any tablets and capsules called "Ibuprofen" after meals to prevent irritation of the gastric mucosa, which is typical of NSAIDs (the first dose can be taken on an empty stomach, but you will have to drink a lot of water).

Film-coated tablets and capsules are swallowed whole with a sufficient amount of water (at least ½ glass). They are intended for the treatment of patients over 12 years of age. The frequency of taking the drug is 3-4 times a day (the interval between doses is at least 3-4 hours). During the day, a teenager can take no more than 1 g of ibuprofen, an adult patient - up to 1.2 g.

Effervescent tablets, which can be used for treatment from the age of 6, do not need to be swallowed or held in the mouth; they are used to prepare a medicinal solution by dissolving the medicine in 1 glass of water, which should be drunk immediately after preparation.

Children under 12 years of age can take 2 to 4 effervescent tablets per day. Older patients can take 1-2 tablets at a time, at least 4 hours apart.

Suspension is a form of the drug that can be used to reduce high temperature in children starting from six months of age. Infants up to one year of age are given the suspension three times a day, ½ teaspoon. Children up to three years of age take the drug in the same dosage, but the frequency of administration can be increased to four times a day (or 1 teaspoon three times a day).

A single dose for children aged 3-6 years is 1-1.5 teaspoons, taken three times a day, but for small patients under 10 years of age, the same dose can be given 4 times a day (or 2 teaspoons three times a day).

Teenagers under 12 years of age are given 2-3 teaspoons three times a day.

After vaccination, small children may have a high fever, in which case the doctor may allow giving ibuprofen from 3 months (½ teaspoon twice a day).

Treatment with rectal suppositories bypassing the gastrointestinal tract can be started from the age of three months. A single dose is calculated based on the weight of the small patient. Babies up to 8 kg are given no more than 3 suppositories per day at intervals of at least 6 hours; for children weighing no more than 12 and a half kilograms, the number of suppositories per day can be increased to 4. One suppository is given at a time.

Treatment of high temperature with ibuprofen in children is carried out for no more than 3 days.

What are the contraindications for the drug? It is not prescribed for hypersensitivity to the components of the drug and other NSAIDs, erosive and ulcerative pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and gastrointestinal bleeding, chronic inflammation in the rectum (for suppositories), severe liver and kidney pathologies, especially those associated with organ dysfunction, hypokalemia. It is undesirable to take NSAIDs after coronary artery bypass grafting, with hemostasis disorders, pregnancy (in the last trimester).

Caution should be exercised when taking ibuprofen by people who are addicted to alcohol, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as those who use corticosteroids, SSRI antidepressants, drugs that reduce blood viscosity (NSAIDs themselves can reduce blood clotting time). The drug can be given to infants only with the permission of a pediatrician.

The drug in any form of release according to the instructions has a large number of side effects: various unpleasant symptoms from the gastrointestinal tract and liver, including the development of pancreatitis and hepatitis, bronchospasms, shortness of breath, reversible hearing and vision impairment, eyelid edema, headaches, irritability, kidney dysfunction, hyperhidrosis, etc. However, the development of such phenomena is associated mainly with the use of large doses of the drug and treatment for more than 5 days.

"Nimesulide" (analogues of "Nimesil", "Nimid", "Nise") is a drug from the NSAID category, which is also used not only to relieve pain and inflammation, but also to combat high temperatures. All 3 properties of the drug are expressed equally.

This drug is available in tablet form (Nimesil is a powder for oral solution) and is intended for the treatment of patients over 12 years of age. A single dose of the drug for any age is 1 tablet (1 sachet of Nimesil dissolved in a glass of water). The frequency of taking the drug is 2 times a day.

Drug therapy is possible for 15 days in a row.

Nimesulide preparations are not prescribed in case of increased sensitivity of the body to their components, history of intolerance reactions to any of the NSAIDs and negative reactions to nimesulide from the liver, exacerbations of ulcerative-erosive diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, any bleeding and blood clotting disorders. Taking the drug is contraindicated in severe pathologies of the heart, liver and kidneys associated with disruption of their functioning, alcoholism and drug addiction.

The drug should not be taken if you suspect influenza or other viral infections, as well as acute surgical pathologies, so you must first make sure that the temperature is caused by other reasons.

It should be said that, despite the decent list of side effects, they appear relatively infrequently. The most "popular" symptoms are: nausea, diarrhea, epigastric pain, increased liver enzymes. Less often, patients complain of dizziness, increased blood pressure, shortness of breath, constipation, exacerbation of ulcers, edematous and allergic reactions. Other side effects occur rarely and usually against the background of certain pathologies.

If we are talking about a viral infection, we need to understand that the human body is able to cope with this "infection" on its own. It is believed that with an increase in temperature, the production of interferons increases - protein compounds that increase the resistance of the body's cells to viruses. Thus, the body independently builds protection against infection, and there is no need to interfere with it.

When a viral infection occurs with a high temperature, many doctors do not recommend bringing it down unless it rises above 38.5-39 degrees, explaining that at such temperatures the production of interferon is optimal. Other doctors prescribe antipyretics already at a temperature of 37.5-38 degrees and interferon preparations (Viferon, Interal, Avonex, Grippferon, etc.). Who is right?

The body can obtain interferon in two ways: by producing it on its own or by getting it from outside with pharmaceutical drugs. Both ways are equally effective. But by suppressing natural immunity with antipyretic drugs, we teach the body to wait for help from the outside. And this is not necessary if the body itself is capable of producing protective proteins. There is no need to rush to bring down the temperature if you suspect a viral infection. Let the body learn to fight on its own.

Folk remedies

A high temperature without a reason is a reason to think about possible health problems, but not a signal for panic and haste. It is believed that a child under one year of age needs to have their temperature brought down if it exceeds 38 degrees. Most older children can easily withstand a temperature of 38.5-39 degrees. Adults are not recommended to bring down a temperature below 38 (and only if such an increase is observed on the eve of going to bed), and if you feel normal, you can wait until it rises to 39 degrees.

Another question that arises when the temperature rises is how to bring it down: with pharmaceutical drugs or folk remedies? It must be said that many pediatricians themselves recommend not to rush to "poison" the body with drugs, if there are many other ways to combat hyperthermia, known among the people for a long time and for many years helping children and adult patients in such a situation. This is a folk experience, time-tested, applicable to people of any age. Moreover, the experience is safer than taking chemicals.

With the help of pharmaceutical preparations, we actually bring the temperature back to normal (it drops to 36.6-37 degrees), while it would be more correct to reduce it by only half a degree to keep it from rising to critical values, but not to interfere with the immune system. This can be done with the help of regular rubdowns, when the patient's hands, feet and body are wiped with a damp cloth.

What solutions are best to use for rubdowns? The most popular solutions are vinegar and vodka (alcohol), which are found in almost every home. Evaporating from the surface of the body, they cool it by approximately 0.5 degrees per procedure. If rubdowns are done for a child or a person with sensitive skin, vinegar (both table and apple) or alcohol should be diluted 1:1 with clean water at room temperature or slightly warmed up.

Additionally, you can wipe the body with a damp towel or fan it with a thick cloth for an hour, which usually gives a lasting effect. If the room is quite warm, infants can be briefly wrapped in a diaper soaked in room temperature water. In general, water can even be used for rubbing, but they will not give a long-lasting effect, so you will have to repeat the procedure quite often.

Vinegar, vodka and other rubdowns are not performed if a person with a high temperature has cold feet and hands.

Another popular and effective remedy is compresses. When you have a fever, they are placed on your forehead, groin and elbow area (inner side), and calves. What can be used for compresses: cabbage leaves, bags of cold water (you need to be very careful, since extreme cold can cause vascular spasm), a mixture of water with the addition of alcohol or cologne (wet the cloth and apply to the forehead, changing as it warms up), a mixture of 2 parts water and 1 part vinegar, a mixture of vodka and apple cider vinegar (usually used to soak high socks or knee-highs, which are then put on the feet).

You can add a couple of drops of tea tree, eucalyptus, or fir essential oil to any of the compress compositions. When evaporated, the ether will have an antibacterial and antiviral effect when inhaled through the mouth or nose.

You can safely reduce the body temperature of infants (for example, during teething) using an enema. No special compositions need to be prepared. For the procedure, you will need a syringe and clean boiled water without additives. The liquid should be at room temperature.

Babies under six months can be given no more than 60 ml of water rectally; older children will need 2-3 times more liquid.

Some doctors do not agree with the use of pure water for enemas and advise using chamomile infusion or a weak saline solution for the procedure.

As is known, vitamin C has the ability to lower high body temperature, even if it occurs without a reason. At the same time, it is not necessary to run to the pharmacy for "ascorbic acid", because this vitamin can be found in large quantities in the products we are accustomed to on our table. A lot of useful vitamin for fever is contained in:

• citrus fruits (especially oranges and lemons, which are usually available in stores in large quantities during periods of infectious diseases),
• red and black currants (you can use fresh berry juice or “raw” jam, where the vitamin is well preserved for a long time),
• dried apricots and dried apricots,
• persimmon,
• rose hips and sea buckthorn,
• apples,
• parsley and dill greens,
• cabbage (especially cauliflower and broccoli),
• rowan berries, viburnum, elderberry, cranberries.

If you include these products in your diet during periods of illness, your immune system will work smoothly, and your temperature is unlikely to go beyond acceptable limits.

What else can you think of for a high temperature? Compresses with grated onion or potato, which should be applied to the forehead or calves of the legs (under the socks).

You can also try to alleviate the condition with a cool bath. The water temperature should be close to normal body temperature (it is better if it is a couple of degrees higher). You can lie in such a bath for 10-20 minutes, adding essential oils to the water, effective against viruses and bacteria.

It is believed that a mixture of grated apples and onions, flavored with natural honey, also has a good antipyretic effect. All components can be taken in equal quantities and consumed three times a day before meals. One tablespoon of natural medicine should be consumed at one time. But if the patient is allergic to bee products, it is better not to use this recipe.

Doctors always recommend drinking plenty of fluids when you have a fever. If a child or adult drinks a lot of fluids, the body will not overheat. You can drink everything except alcoholic beverages. The liquid should be warm or at room temperature.

A good remedy for colds, helping to sweat and normalize the temperature, is considered to be a composition based on milk, to which honey and garlic are added. But the patient can also be given any compotes and juices that will help supply the body with the vitamins it needs, primarily vitamin C, tea with jam (preferably green), herbal decoctions.

Herbal treatment for high temperatures can be of great help. In addition to rose hips, viburnum or rowan berries, many people have dried nettles, dead nettles (a plant similar in appearance to the previous plant, for which it is sometimes called dead nettle), linden flowers, dried fruits and raspberry leaves at home. Elder and chamomile flowers, yarrow and other plants that can reduce temperature (there are about 50 of them) will also come in handy. Antipyretic decoctions and infusions can be prepared from these herbs and plants, enhancing the effect of their intake with lemon and orange juices, honey, and jam.

If you don't have any medicinal herbs at home, you can always buy them at a pharmacy, and at a very reasonable price. You can also find ready-made antipyretic herbal mixtures there.

It is clear that herbal compositions cannot quickly cope with fever and heat, so it is better to start taking them in advance, when the temperature has not yet reached critical values. Such drinks will not cause harm, but they will help stop the increase in temperature. The main thing is to use those herbs to which you or your child are not allergic.

At high temperatures, herbal teas should be combined with rubdowns and compresses. And if such treatment does not help, then you will have to resort to the help of pharmacy products, as experienced doctors advise.

Homeopathy for high temperature

Although many doctors are very skeptical about homeopathic treatment, believing that it is based on the placebo effect, when a “dummy” has a healing effect only because a person believes in its action and thus activates the forces of his body, in case of high temperature without a reason it can be very effective.

The point is that the selection of drugs in homeopathy is carried out not so much taking into account the cause of the temperature increase, but based on the person's feelings and the characteristics of his body. This approach to the problem of high temperature has its advantages, because it excludes errors in diagnosis.

It is clear that the final diagnosis will have to be established in any case, but already during the diagnosis it is possible to help a person cope with a high fever if it noticeably affects the patient's well-being and causes disruptions in the functioning of vital organs. Sometimes the temperature itself is an obstacle to conducting a serious diagnosis, and here again homeopathic remedies can come to the rescue.

What medications can a homeopathic doctor prescribe to combat hyperthermia:

• If a person's temperature appears due to strong emotions and stress or after injuries and increases in the evening, alternating with chills, the drug Aconitum may be prescribed.
• In addition to the temperature, are there hyperemia of the face, anxiety and throbbing headaches? Does the condition worsen during active actions and mental work, and does the person feel better in bed? Belladonna will help.
• Sometimes patients complain that they do not have a high temperature all the time, but periodically at the same time. In such cases, homeopaths usually prescribe the homeopathic remedy China.
• In the initial stage of the disease, when there are no other symptoms yet, and the thermometer column is gradually moving up, which can be indicated by reddened cheeks, loss of appetite and thirst, adults and children are usually prescribed the drug Ferrum phosphoricum.
• Pulsatilla nigricans will help small children who start to be capricious and cry because of a fever, ask to be picked up, demand attention, and the next moment can smile as if nothing had happened. This same drug will be useful for those patients who feel better from fresh air and do not feel thirsty even with a high fever.

Homeopathic medicines in the acute stage of the disease (which is indicated by an increase in temperature) are recommended to be taken in 30 potency. A single dose is 3 grains, which should be kept in the mouth until completely dissolved. Medicines in the specified dose should be taken at intervals of 4 hours until the temperature normalizes. Usually, if this does not happen after 3 doses of the medicine, it is worth changing the drug.

Usually, no dose adjustment is required for treating children, but if the child is small, it is worth starting with minimal doses (1-2 grains). For children under 3 years of age, it is better to dissolve the grains in a glass of water. The medicine should be given to the child at intervals of 2-4 hours. If there is no improvement even after 3 doses, a consultation with a homeopathic doctor and a change of the drug is required.

In a regular pharmacy, you can also find homeopathic remedies that are effective against colds and fever. Viburkol is one of these drugs. Suppositories with this name have anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant (prevents febrile seizures in children), analgesic and antipyretic effects in inflammatory processes of various localizations, so even in the absence of other symptoms of the disease, their use will only be beneficial. The drug can be used for fever caused by teething in babies.

Rectal suppositories are administered to newborns in the first month of their life 4-5 times a day. A quarter of the suppository is used for the procedure.

For infants under six months, at the onset of the disease, 2 suppositories are used per day (½ suppository per procedure). When the condition improves, ½ suppository is administered twice per day.

For children over six months, 1 suppository is administered 4-5 times a day, and when the acute period of the disease passes and the temperature drops, the amount of the drug is reduced to 2 suppositories per day.

For teenagers and adults with high temperatures, suppositories can be administered one at a time 3-4 times an hour for two hours. Then, treatment is carried out using no more than 3-5 suppositories per day.

The drug has virtually no contraindications except for individual intolerance to its components. It can be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Side effects of the drug are rarely limited to mild allergic reactions.