As you grow older, your immune system starts to grow weak and frail, making you susceptible to infections that cause fever. Know what home remedies you can use to treat fever safely and effectively.
Fever when you're older isn’t necessarily a bad thing: it is a sign that your body is fighting off an infection, making it an important part of the healing process.
But because you tend to have a frailer immune system compared to younger adults, you are also more vulnerable to serious viral or bacterial infections , like pneumonia, influenza, and urinary tract infections, that eventually cause fever. And while it’s important to seek medical attention to banish these infections, you can also employ some home remedies for fever treatment.
Here are four ways to help treat your fever the safe and effective way:
Take a warm bath
Gradually cool down a fever with a warm sponge bath. Avoid using cold water, ice baths, or alcohol because the cooling effect can shock the body and cause a spike in body temperature. However, damp cold washcloths can be placed on high-heat areas like the groins and armpits.
Another technique is to mix apple cider vinegar in the warm bath water, as its slightly acidic nature draws out heat from your body and leaves a cooling effect.
Increase fluid intake
Fever can cause dehydration among older adults, so it’s important that you drink lots of fluids to flush out toxins and speed up the healing process.
But water is not the only thing you can drink. According to a study published in CHEST: The Journal of the American College of Chest Physicians , bone broth or chicken soup has medicinal properties that help lower down fever.
One of these components is cartilage, which stimulates white blood cells, thus mounting a strong defense against microbes that cause fever. Chicken broth is also rich in calcium , which can reduce the duration of your symptoms like fever, body malaise, nausea, vomiting, headache, and stress.
Rest to relieve headache and stress
Fever is often accompanied by headache and stress, and the best way to fight them off is through getting enough rest and sleep. Sleeping for eight hours or more triggers the production of white blood cells, giving your body more weapons to attack bacteria and viruses.
Take paracetamol for fever relief
For high-grade fever of more than 38 ° C, take a trusted paracetamol medicine like Biogesic. Paracetamol seeks out pyrogen, a substance produced by bacteria that causes fever when released into the bloodstream.
Unlike other anti-fever medicines, paracetamol has low incidence of side effects, which is why you can still take it for pain and fever relief even at an advanced age. Biogesic, in particular, has been a trusted household brand for decades as it has consistently helps relieve headache and fever.
You can safely take a maximum of three grams of Biogesic a day or one 500 mg tablet every four to six hours. But if you're suffering from chronic liver disease, alcoholism, HIV, and malnutrition, make sure that you do not exceed two grams of paracetamol per day to avoid liver toxicity.
As you grow older, you have to be more careful with the remedies that you use to get rid of fever. But by following these simple and time-tested fever treatments that can be done at home, you can vanquish fever without compromising your safety. Paracetamol is the generic name of Biogesic. If symptoms persist, consult your doctor.
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