Question
How should I relieve my child’s fever? Patient’s Age: Ten years old Symptoms Description: The child has a high fever, chills, and is speaking incoherently. Previous Treatment and Effectiveness: No fever-reducing medication, just applied cold compresses. Desired Assistance: How can I bring down the fever quickly?
Answer
Cold Room Method: Place the sick child in an environment with a room temperature of about 24°C to allow the body temperature to drop slowly. To facilitate cooling, dress the child lightly. If possible, use air conditioning to lower the room temperature. This method is suitable for infants under one month old, especially in summer. Simply opening the baby’s clothes and placing them in a cool, shaded area can help their body temperature drop gradually. However, if the baby has chills and shivering along with the fever, this method should not be used. Fever-Relieving Patches: Fever-relieving patches are a relatively new product that has become quite popular. In reality, their fever-reducing effect is generally moderate and not as exaggerated as advertised. Placing a patch on the baby’s forehead can make the baby feel more comfortable, and it can also ease the parents’ worries. It should be harmless, I suppose. Cold Compress: There is still much controversy about the benefits and drawbacks of this method. Some experts believe that the disadvantages of cold compresses outweigh the benefits because they may cause the baby’s skin capillaries to constrict, hindering heat dissipation and potentially raising body temperature even more. This method should especially not be used if the baby has chills and shivering.