Nothing can make a parent panic more than the thought of their child coming down with a fever. Young children are prone to falling ill because their immune systems are still developing to fight toxic air and seasonal allergies. While seeing your child’s discomfort can be difficult, it’s important for parents to remember that fever in children is not necessarily a reason to worry. A temperature below 100 degrees means that your child’s immune system is working hard to fight off an infection. Instead of rushing your child to a doctor, you can use a few natural fever remedies to ease your child’s discomfort and prevent their temperature from rising.
The real danger of a child running a temperature isn’t the fever in itself, but dehydration – a common side-effect. Your child’s fever might make them sweat excessively and lose important minerals. This is why you need to ensure your child drinks enough fluids through the day to compensate for the electrolytes (s)he is losing. A hot bowl of soup is one of the best natural fever remedies. Not only is soup full of essential vitamins and minerals, but is easier for your child to digest. Try avoiding instant soups as homemade is always the healthiest option. There are plenty of easy and healthy soup recipes which you can make in no time at all.
While ice cold baths are a popular remedy to bring down fever in children, they might not be helpful. Cold showers can shock your child’s internal temperature and do little to bring down their fever. A lukewarm bath, on the other hand, is gentle on the body and can bring down a high temperature almost immediately. To make a warm bath even more effective add a cup of apple cider vinegar to it. This is one of the most popular natural fever remedies and has been used for decades to treat fever in children. You can even add a few drops of apple cider vinegar to a warm compress pack and lay it over your child’s forehead.
If your child refuses to drink water when they’re down with a fever, try giving him/her some herbal tea instead. As long as it doesn’t contain caffeine, herbal teas are perfectly safe for children. They are one of the best natural fever remedies and will keep your child hydrated. Herbal teas also have many health benefits that can treat your child’s fever. Chamomile tea is a very popular remedy for fever and is even safe for babies. Peppermint tea can help settle a bad tummy and ease congested airways. You can also add a teaspoon of honey to the tea for better taste and extra antibacterial powers.
When your child’s immune system is working hard to fight an infection, probiotics can lend a helping hand. Almost 80% of your immune system lies in the tiny microbes that live in your gut. To help strengthen your child’s gut micro biota when they’re sick, give them a dose of probiotic supplements every day. You can also feed your child probiotic supplements if they’re on a course of antibiotics to prevent an upset tummy. Making your child take a daily dose of probiotics can even prevent them from falling sick in the future.
If there’s one thing that children love regardless of whether they are sick or not, it’s popsicles. When your child is sick, don’t feel guilty about feeding them fruit popsicles. Iced popsicles can cool down your child’s temperature from the inside and hydrate them at the same time. You can make your own fruit popsicles by freezing pureed fruit in popsicle cones. While natural fruit sugars are fine, we recommend you say no to refined sugars in your child’s popsicles.
These tips can help ease your child’s discomfort when they’re down with a fever. However, if their temperature rises beyond 100 degrees with any other significant symptoms, make sure you visit a doctor immediately.