An episode of fever is usually unprecedented and worrying. No matter which member of the family is down with illness, fevers make you feel weak and helpless. However, fever has a purpose to serve within the body.
A fever signals a rescue effort from the body, and it is a sign that your body is trying to fight an internal problem. According to Dr. Hiral Bhatt, fevers occur when there is too much accumulated waste inside the body, or when your body is trying to fight an infection.
What Should I Do If I Have a Fever?
- Don’t panic
It’s only natural to be confused about what to do when you’re in the throes of a fever, but it is important that you don’t panic. Panicking and stressing yourself out even more are some of the worst things you can do when you have a fever.
- Don’t Take Antipyretics Unnecessarily
Do not be in a hurry to reduce the fever immediately. If you have a fever below 101°F (38.3°C), then there is no need to take fever suppressing medicines. Doing so will rush your body’s natural processes. You might not recover enough, and your fever could recur.
- Fast For the First Few Days
Make sure you are fasting for the first few days of the fever. While your body is fighting against pathogens or waste, added processes like digestion will only slow down your body’s fever-fighting abilities. Your body will appreciate the time and space that you give it to fight the fever.
- Get As Much Rest as Possible
Make sure you get adequate rest. This, once again, ties in with the previous point- your body needs to make sure that all of its systems are focused on fighting the fever and getting the toxins out of your body. Rest will allow your body to return to normal balance much sooner.
- Sip Warm Water
Warm water will aid your body in flushing out the toxins which are causing the fever. Keep in mind that Dr. Hiral Bhatt recommends you do this only if you’re not in a hot climate. If you have a mouth ulcer, try sipping medicated water.
Infuse spices like sandalwood, khus, coriander and ginger to your drinking water, and keep taking sips. Maintaining hydration during a fever is important, since your body tends to lose water through sweat.
- Apply Heat
If you have body ache or a congested chest along with your fever, make sure to apply a warm compress to the area with pain and your chest. Simply heat up a towel under a hot iron and apply to the area.
You could also cover yourself with a heavy blanket and turn off any fans or air conditioners in the room. This will help you to sweat off the fever more easily.
What Should I Do When the Fever Starts Subsiding?
After the initial days of fasting, you can reintroduce some light and easy to digest meals. A simple rice gruel will help provide your body with the nourishment it needs. To make this, roast the rice grain and boil in water so that the resulting mixture is slightly soupy. You can add spices like ginger, cumin, salt and pepper.
If you’re in a cold climate, or if it’s winter, you can have moong soup. Simply substitute rice in the previous recipe with whole moong, and boil it to the consistency of thick soup.
After a few more days, you can start having meals like khichdi, or rice and dal. However, if you feel like the fever is starting to return, then you should immediately go back to fasting. As per the Ayurvedic Clinic in Navi Mumbai, your body has not completely recovered from the fever yet, and you should allow it more time to focus on fighting the toxins.
Conclusion
A fever does not always require chemical intervention. While it might seem like a good idea to simply pop an antipyretic and go about your day, this often leaves the root problem uncured, and makes way for the fever to recur over and over again.
Ayurveda focuses on treating your illnesses from the core instead of treating the symptoms as they come. Believe in the power of your body to fight for itself. Following this advice from the best Ayurvedic doctor in Navi Mumbai will help you to recover from your fever and get back to the peak of your health.
