#31 Natural Remedies for Fever
life is hard, food doesn't have to be [vol1, 11.3]
I often find myself repeating “food is medicine.” This week’s letter is part one of two (maybe three). Today is an overview and what to do when fever strikes. Next week I’ll outline specific tools in my medicine kit. It’s not meant as medical advice. I’m just one mom sharing experience. This is a longer than normal newsletter. Sorry, not sorry.
The first time my child was really sick was so scary. We’d just moved to a new town. Like, just off the moving truck and my one-year old began to bark like a seal. I felt powerless in the middle of the night. I didn’t know how to help or comfort him. Later, the doctor prescribed antibiotics. Turns out he had croup, which is viral not bacterial.
I didn’t know much then, but I knew that giving antibiotics for a virus wasn’t right. I wanted to arm myself to know what to do the next time illness struck...especially in the middle of the night.
I kept hearing a common refrain: treat the root -- not the symptom. Support the body towards wellness. Strengthen the body to do what it was designed to do.
I kept learning, asking questions, taking classes, going to conferences. My thinking was changing and moving towards whole-body healing. I began to find merit in FOOD AS MEDICINE.
At one Weston A. Price Conference, I went to a seminar by Thomas Cowan, MD., on thinking of a Fever as a Child’s Best Friend. Here’s an an article years prior by him with good information.
Fever as a child’s best friend?
Paradigm shift for sure!
That seminar equipped me with confidence to not reach for Tylenol when body temperature rises. He shared how important it is for children to experience fevers to strengthen their immune systems. I remember him saying something like, “the more fevers your children have the stronger their immune systems will be as adults.”
Confidence. That’s what I needed. Knowledge brings power not to live in fear. Allowing a child to have a fever is not harming them. It’s strengthening their immune system.
The body’s heat from fever actually slows the reproductivity of pathogens. If this is a new idea to you, spend some time reading about natural treatments for fever, how to support the body when fever strikes, and understanding what is going on in the body during this time. Don’t just rely on what I’m saying in this email.
Understanding HOW a fever helps fight gave me confidence to let my children have a fever.
When my kids get a fever, I try to keep them comfortable and hydrated.
If they feel cold, pile on blankets and give them a heating pad. Maybe snuggle with them and share body heat. When fevers rise above 102, I apply a cool cloth to forehead, feet, and or palms.
On the rare occasion when fevers spike to crazy high temps of 104+ I have put children in warm to cool baths. Enemas are also an option for high fevers. Most of the fevers we deal with are not 104+. It is scary when kids spike those high fevers and talk crazy! I try to be consistent with all my remedies so we don’t get to that point.
When fever strikes, encourage rest (and talk about this in a child’s language). Tell them the body is working very hard to heal while they lay still.
If they are not drinking enough on their own, set a timer and have them “take one sip” every 10 minutes. We need more liquids with fever than on a normal day. The body is working very hard to overcome the foreign invaders. Some of the time children are lethargic and just want to sleep (just what the body needs!). Other times, they want me to sit with them on the couch. A parent’s presence brings great comfort and aids the healing process.
Just this week I was coaching my own mother about the importance of rest when sick. (She is always on the go!) I encouraged her to think of her work, when sick, is to rest.
Sarah Pope, The Healthy Home Economist writes:
Children whose parents allow them to experience fevers without medication will many times exhibit no other symptoms. A fever spike accompanied by rest and nourishment alone will, within a day or two, typically resolve the illness with no other symptoms experienced or treatment required. Bring the fever down with meds, however, and there will likely be a sinus infection and coughing, mucous, rash, vomiting, diarrhea or other issues to deal with that will extend the illness possibly with the need for antibiotics.
Why not Tylenol or ibuprofen?
Beyond reducing body temperature without overcoming illness, Tylenol and ibuprofen deplete glutathione, an internally made antioxidant. Glutathione is one of the most important agents in managing detoxification pathways throughout the body. I think it is somewhat common knowledge that Tylenol can cause liver damage, too.
Fever reducing meds also trick a person that they are feeling better so they no longer rest. I want my kid to feel bad so that he will rest. Maybe that sounds harsh but true -feeling ill encourages rest.
Ways to support the body when fever strikes:
Hydrate - drink lukewarm or warm drinks. I make a homemade lemonade with fresh lemons, raw honey and pinch of sea salt. Make it tasty and robust like Chick-fil-A’s. Momma don’t be skimpy on the ingredients.
Rest - sleep is so important. I limit screen time in the afternoons to encourage napping. We listen to audio books too. But when it is rest time, I remove distractions and even close curtains to encourage sleep.
Snuggle
Remove sugar, even natural sugar in fruit drinks
Possibly fast (no food). Going without food allows the digestive system to rest and the other bodily systems focus on fighting pathogens. Encourage your child to listen to their body. If they aren’t hungry don’t force food. When they ask for food, give them nourishing foods. Broth is a great option to sip or chicken soup for dinner - here’s how to make it. If they are meh about food don’t push it. Encourage liquids like tepid water or homemade lemonade with honey.
Two remedies I’ve used with success:
Wet Socks
Some children really enjoy this pampering remedy when they are feverish. The body reacts to the wet socks by increasing blood circulation, which stimulates the immune system. Some say it helps draw heat from the fever to the feet.
Pour 1 cup very hot water into a bowl (it soon turns cold). Immerse a clean pair of cotton socks into this water - preferably a pair that will extend up their leg. Squeeze excess water from socks then put socks on the patient, as if preparing for shoes. If their feet are cold to the touch, use your hands to warm their feet by rubbing them. On top of these wet socks, add a pair of dry wool socks. If you do not have wool socks, add another pair of dry cotton socks. Wrap the patient in a blanket (make them as warm and comfortable as possible.) After 20 minutes remove the socks. This may be repeated 3 times a day.
Fever Bath
The idea is to take a hot bath at the onset of fever (when it is lower) to jump start the body’s ability to get the fever up so it will more effectively fight pathogens. I don’t recommend this type of bath with a high fever.
Get into a bath (while running the water so it is not difficult to slip into a very hot bath) and make the bath as warm as you or the child can stand it. You can tolerate hotter water if you gradually increase the heat, as opposed to trying to get into a very hot full tub of water. (Remember the proverb about frogs in boiling water?)
Add 2 cups Epsom salt to the water as it is running. Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate. Americans are woefully deficient in magnesium, which is used by every cell in the body. When my children bathed everyday, I added 1/2 c Epsom salts whether or not they were sick.
Drink a glass of room temperature water before getting in, a glass while you’re in, and a glass just after. Stay in the very hot water for at least 20 minutes. If you start to feel faint while in the tub, get out. It is best if you can induce a sweat while in the bath.
Carefully get out of the bath. It is not uncommon to feel dizzy when standing up to get out (I explain this to the child before they stand.)
Once out of the bath, immediately dry off and put on cotton clothing including socks, wrap with a robe if you have one. Put something on your head, as most body heat is lost through the head. Go to bed with lots of covers. You want to stay as warm as possible and stay in bed for at least 45 minutes, up to 2 hours. Then change into dry clean clothes.
Final Words
When my people get sick (or definitely when I go down) my brain seems to hit pause. I have been known to google “natural remedy for xxx” and read several articles. It is very common for me to call or text a naturally minded friend for support. I tell her the symptoms and what I have done thus far for remedies. Often she will remind me of something simple that seems to really help.
Extend grace to yourself when those you love are sick. Caring for a family requires extra energy, time, and patience. Remove the unimportant from your list. Caring for the sick is most important. Let your neighbor pick up things from the store so you don’t have to leave. (If their family was sick, you would gladly do the same for them.) Especially when children are young and feverish, a parent’s presence brings great comfort and aids the healing process. Do what you can to be present. Drop the unimportant and be present. {preaching to self here.}
Lastly, pray and use your head. This advice was given to me by a very wise woman, Gina Flood, over 16 years ago as I entered nervously into motherhood. Desperately wanting to do it all “right,” I had so many questions for her. I greatly respect Gina in so many arenas of life; she does life well.
Gently she reminded me that God is for me. He has sent the Holy Spirit to be my guide and give me wisdom. Pray and ask for wisdom. He will give it. Pray, use your head. Keep learning. Keep asking questions. He will guide you into all truth.
You’ve got this, Momma!
Julie
PS - if this letter has encouraged your thinking about fevers, would you forward it to someone?