8 ways to bring a fever down naturally

Here are 8 home remedies to help reduce a fever without taking medication, which include, staying hydrated, sponging, and proper nutrition.

Fever is a reversible increase in body temperature that lasts for a particular time frame in a patient, which depends on the intensity of the illness and the treatment administered to address the temperature change. Though fever is not life-threatening, it causes great discomfort to everyone.

Here are 8 home remedies to help reduce a fever without medications:

1. Drinking plenty of water
   • Increased temperature in the body results in dehydration. With dehydration, a person may feel even more warm and uncomfortable. So, the first important step is to keep the person hydrated.
   • Taking small portions of water frequently will help. For children, a few tablespoons of water every 10 minutes should ensure that they have adequate liquids in their bodies.
   • Hydration helps feel comfortable and reduces the heat in the body.
2. Sponging
   • Sponging is a very good technique that reduces high body temperature in children and adults, who are confined to bed due to the illness.
   • A sponge or a towel is immersed in cold water, partially squeezed, and placed on or used to clean the body’s surface. This is repeated multiple times to bring down the body temperature.
   • Sponging is usually done on the forehead, chest, groin area, and wrist.
3. Lukewarm baths
   • A lukewarm bath is one of the best methods to reduce body temperature. 
   • Taking a shower with lukewarm water relaxes the muscles and soothes the body.
   • It relieves stress and provides energy. 
4. Vitamin C
   • Taking food rich in vitamin C reduces oxidative stress and improves immunity. 
   • Drinking lemon juice with lukewarm water is an effective natural cure for fever, as well as colds, flu, and other diseases.
5. Nutritious food
   • Eating food rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals is essential to improve the immune system that combats the illness. With a strong immune system, you get back into shape soon.
   • It is important to keep your stomach on the lighter side during fever because the digestive system weakens with illness.
6. Soups
   • Eating soups that contain herbs (such as basil) and spices (such as capsaicin and pepper) will improve blood circulation and cool down the body by producing sweat.
   • Broth-based soup provides energy and essential nutrients to fight the disease and bring down the body temperature.
7. Fruit juices
   • Fresh pressed fruit juices provide the body with necessary sugars and vitamins that help regain strength. This increases energy in the body and enhances the immune system to fight against the illness.
   • This is one of the best ways to hydrate the body and cool it down.
8. Comfortable clothing
   • It is recommended to wear light breathable clothes such that the temperature from the body escapes in the surrounding environment and provides some relief.

What is a fever?

A fever, medically referred to as pyrexia, is an increase in the body temperature that occurs as a response to an illness, such as an infection caused by bacteria or virus or any allergic reaction.

When the body temperature is about 98.6°F, it is considered normal. However, the range may vary based on a variety of circumstances, such as the foods eaten, sleeping habits, and the physical activities a person engages in.

Fever is not an illness, but it is a symptom of underlying illnesses or infections. The body temperature rises when the immune system works hard to combat infections, such as bacteria or viruses.

Fever is classified into various types based on the rise in temperature and the pattern of the fever, such as the following:

Temperature

• Low-grade fever: 100 to 101°F 
• High-grade fever: 103 to 104°F
• Dangerous range of temperature: 104 to 107°F
• Hyperpyrexia: Above 106.1°F

Pattern

• Sustained fever: The body temperature variations of 0.5°F or less during 24 hours.
• Remittent fever: The body temperature rises and falls, but it never returns to normal. The temperature variation is more than 0.5°F but less than 2.5°F.
• Intermittent fever: The body temperature increases but returns to normal each day. The temperature variation is more than 0.5°F but less than 2.5°F.
• Hectic fever: Fever that is remittent or intermittent, with a variation of 2.5°F or more between the highest and lowest body temperatures in a day.