I don't know anything that makes my heart sink more than seeing my kid sick. Especially when that kid is usually a vibrant ball of energy, bouncing off walls, standing on his head, and practicing ninja moves on his 2- year-old brother.
It's amazing how quickly that cheeky, crazy man can go from that, to this pile of mush:
This was how my poor son spent his Halloween this year. With a 103 fever and not a trick-or-treat to be had.
My heart bled for him, and so did Daddy's wallet after he purchased a truckload of "make-up" candy. It's one of the worst things in the world to see your child go through pain or just feeling crumby.
Bryson has a habit of running unusually high fevers. They don't happen that often, but bet your bottom dollar when they do, they're no where near "low grade".
A couple of years ago when this would happen I would plop him in bed, put on an endless loop of Star Wars and pump him full of whatever over the counter pain-reliever I had on hand.
Which is why both my mom and mother-in-law looked at me like I had 3 heads when I told them, this time, I hadn't given him anything.
Being that both lovely ladies are nurses, their first line of defense is usually some sort of medication. And while I appreciate their knowledge about many things, my approach to health is now a bit different then theirs.
Who's the REAL Culprit?
Here's the thing.....we get a fever for a reason. Our bodies are smart little buggers. They know how to do a plethora of cool stuff including give birth, fight off infection and heal...ALL without intervention! Amazing, I know!
I feel like there is all sorts of anecdotal information about what to do when your child has a fever. "Starve a cold, feed a fever" comes to mind. We treat a rise in our body's temperature as a warning that we must do something to stop it.
But as I said your body is CRAZY smart and has a reason for everything it does.
In the case of a fever, your body is reacting to some sort of invading bacteria or other nasty organisms that can't take the heat, so they get the hell out of the kitchen.
Our internal thermostat, the hypothalmus, senses the impending assault and tries to crank up the temperature so that whatever is trying to mess with our immune system gets met with an inhospitable living environment.
Then once we have reached a high enough temperature, in my son's case dancing around 102.5 and 103, it begins the cooling down process by releasing sweat.
It's very efficient process in most cases, if let to run it's course.
I know our first inclination, especially as parents, is to get our kids out of discomfort, IMMEDIATELY!
But you might actually be causing more harm than good by prematurely ending their sweat session.
High temperature triggers the body’s production of infection-fighting white blood cells and inhibits the growth of viruses and bacteria. “If you lower the fever, you may be affecting the body’s ability to respond to that infection.” ~ Janice Sullivan, a professor of pediatric clinical care and clinical pharmacology at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
So, while giving your child ibuprofen or acetaminophen will temporarily relieve them of some discomfort, it could also delay their body's natural defense mechanism and prolong the recovery process.
Even in adults, our biggest concern should not be the number, but staying well hydrated.
“An isolated temperature of 103 or 104 [in an adult] gets everyone nervous because of the number, but fever in and of itself doesn’t hurt us as we get older, and it can be therapeutic,” says Mark Abbruzzese, an infectious-disease specialist.
So when your spouse or your child is laying in an adorable, but sad blob on the couch, what can you do? I am by no means a licensed professional, but here are some simple and natural ways to cope.
Water, water, water. Staying well hydrated is important for day-to-day health, but becomes even MORE pressing when your body is heated up like a sauna. The concern for most parents is that their child's fever will cause a febrile seizure. But in most cases, the main cause of febrile seizures is dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.
Monitor it. Call the doctor if:
- For babies younger than 3 months old, if their temp is over 100.4
- If the fever goes higher than 104 in a child less than 2
- If it last more than two days for a child older than 2
- ***If they experience a febrile seizure get to the hospital immediately.***
Chill Out. Physically, by applying a cool compress or having them sit in a room temperature bath. And mentally...there's no need to panic.
Get Some Rest. Sometimes kids will miraculously feel better after a few hours of laying around. Their natural inclination is to start running around again, as if suddenly cured. Try your best to keep them still, their body needs that extra energy to fight off whatever might be ailing them.
Keep them Calm. That might mean a soothing lavender and chamomile bath with Shakleebaby Gentle Wash, as one of my crunchy readers suggested. Or by watching the movie Cars on constant loop, as another mama does. Whatever you can do to make them comfortable.
Try some Herbs. Several herbs have diaphoretic, or sweat-inducing, properties. By increasing perspiration they can help speed up the process and flush out whatever toxins that might be making them ill. Some of these include angelica, elderberry, rosemary, and yarrow.
As always, I want to hear from your, my crunchy friends! What's your favorite fever remedy? Do you let it run it's course or have some top secret natural concoction? Share in the comments section below!
Keeping it Hot in Granolaville,
1 comments:
This is very interesting. Really makes you think. Thanks for sharing this.
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