- Rubbing with vinegar or alcohol. This procedure, still used in self-treatment today, can lead to burns or poisoning from alcohol vapors. Do you need these side effects in addition to the fever?
- Cold bath. Placing a patient with a fever in cold water means creating a temperature difference that is dangerous to health. A sharp narrowing of blood vessels does not bode well.
- It's a big mistake to give aspirin to a child. This is fraught with serious complications, including damage to the brain and liver.
How does temperature change depending on how it is measured?
Temperature fluctuations also depend on where a person measures it. There are several methods of thermometry.
- Thermometry in the armpit. Normal values range from 36.6℃ to 37.0℃.
- Oral thermometry (in the oral cavity). Values in the mouth can rise to 37.5℃ in an adult without needing to do anything.
- Rectal thermometry. When measured by this method, the temperature can be between 36.8℃ and 37.7℃.
To ensure accurate readings, you should refrain from drinking hot drinks and exercising before taking thermometry.
The most effective way of thermometry is to measure in the armpit with a mercury thermometer.
The rectal method is used in children (up to 1 year) or in women to determine ovulation.
Price of antipyretic tablets
The most effective drugs are located above in the table. But before purchasing, you must carefully read their description and contraindications.
Tablets for fever for adults - list and prices:
Drug name | Price |
Paracetamol | 5-50 rub. |
Nurofen | 75-100 rub. |
Ibuklin | 120-150 rub. |
Aspirin | 5-50 rub. |
Ibuprofen | 20-80 rub. |
Analgin | 20-80 rub. |
Nise | 200-500 rub. |
Koksib | 300 rub. |
Coldact | 200 rub. |
You can help your body not only with pills. Cherries, currants and strawberries in traditional medicine recipes also successfully help get rid of fever. An adult should drink about 1.5-2 liters of water per day.
During any treatment, it is important to monitor your health and write down how you feel in a notebook. The list of medications must be agreed with your doctor, because many of them have contraindications and special drug interactions.
Article design: Oleg Lozinsky
The hidden dangers of long-term low-grade fever
Low-grade fever most often indicates a long-term inflammatory process. Moreover, the reasons can be quite serious.
If a temperature of 37.2℃ in an adult lasts more than 2 weeks, then in this case we can talk about long-term low-grade fever. The main danger lies in the development of oncological processes, tuberculosis, as well as the formation of purulent foci in the body. And although these reasons are not very common, if the increase is prolonged, a person needs to visit a doctor and undergo a comprehensive examination.
willow bark
You can buy it at the pharmacy. The bark is a natural source of salicylic acid. It was from it that this chemical compound was isolated for the first time. I didn’t use it to reduce the temperature, just in case, let’s take note.
Linden blossom
Linden flower tea is a proven way to fight colds over generations. It is as effective as raspberries. A big plus is that linden not only relieves fever, but also prevents complications. Tea has an expectorant and antimicrobial effect, removes toxins, and strengthens the immune system.
Cool bath
Many sources recommend taking a bath to bring down a high temperature. Some recommend warm, others – cold. Such advice is highly questionable. I don’t even risk taking a shower when I’m sick, so as not to get too cold. Heat causes the fever to increase even more. I experienced this firsthand.
If you want, experiment, but I can hardly imagine a person lying in a cool bath at a high temperature. And you?
Compresses
A method designed for extreme sports enthusiasts is an ice compress. Cold can cause vasospasm, headache, and hypothermia. It is much safer to place a damp cloth on your forehead. As the liquid evaporates, it will absorb heat and cool slightly. The method, according to my observations, is weak, and it’s unlikely to be possible without drugs. The most it does is slightly relieve discomfort. I use it sometimes, just take a decoction of mint or chamomile.
Read also: Bitten by a poisonous snake: what to do, how to provide help, consequences of the bite
Is it necessary to lower the temperature to 37℃?
A temperature below 38.5℃ in an adult is not an indication for reducing it. Especially if the fever is not accompanied by severe symptoms. In addition, taking certain medications can blur the clinical picture and complicate the correct diagnosis.
But if the increase in temperature is accompanied by a headache, pain in muscles and joints, a state of weakness and fatigue, then in this case you can independently improve your condition with the help of medications or improvised means.
What should an adult take at a temperature of 37℃, except for medications, to alleviate the condition:
- ensure the flow of cool air into the room;
- dress in comfortable clothes (keep warm to reduce vascular spasm);
- drink warm tea with honey and lemon;
- stay in bed until the condition returns to normal.
When a temperature of 37 °C is not dangerous
The thermometer can consistently show a value just above 37 °C if you measure the temperature in the following situations. What Is Normal Body Temperature? :
Mid-menstrual cycle (for women)
An increase in temperature by 0.5–1 °C is one of the key signs of the onset of ovulation. This is fine.
Immediately after training
Physical activity increases blood circulation and warms up the body. Even after sweating properly and taking a shower, we don’t cool down right away. The body needs about an hour to return to normal temperature levels.
After a walk in hot weather
In this case, overheating is likely. Again, you need to give the body time to cool down.
In the evening
Body temperature fluctuates throughout the day: it is minimal in the morning, and at about 18:00 it reaches its peak Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations. 3rd edition. , which, as a rule, is 0.2–0.5 °C higher than the morning indicator.
When you worry, you are stressed
Due to the emotional state, the temperature can also rise Psychogenic fever: how psychological stress affects body temperature in the clinical population. There is even a special term for this phenomenon - psychogenic temperature. When you calm down, it will subside.
If you start taking a new medicine
Some medications may cause a slight increase in temperature at the beginning of use. This condition is called drug fever. . As a rule, low-grade fever in this case goes away within 7–10 days or immediately after discontinuation of the drug.
What medications can be used to reduce this temperature?
Many people do not know that they can drink at a temperature of 37.2℃ and whether it is necessary to bring it down with the help of drugs. Taking medications does not have an antipyretic function, since such a temperature does not require a reduction. But with the help of drugs you can help improve your well-being.
As a rule, at this temperature, paracetamol, antispasmodics, homeopathic drugs, and medicinal powders for oral administration are prescribed.
What to drink at a temperature of 37℃ in an adult:
- paracetamol (once in the form of tablets or suppositories);
- No-spa and drotaverine (to reduce spasms, 2 tablets 2 times a day);
- Viburkol suppositories (they have an antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effect without having a significant effect on body temperature);
- medicines in the form of powders for oral administration (Anvi-Max, Antigrippin, Theraflu).
Also, in case of fever accompanied by manifestations of an acute viral infection, you may need to take vitamin C. This vitamin helps increase the body's resistance, as well as relieve symptoms.
Interesting! How to measure temperature correctly
Types of tablets for temperature. Active substances of drugs
The reason for the increase in temperature is the mediator prostaglandin E, which provokes inflammation. Anti-inflammatory drugs block the process of synthesis of this mediator. It is because of the disruption of prostaglandin that the body temperature decreases. Antipyretic drugs come in several types.
1st generation products
They quickly prevent inflammation, but have side effects: impaired kidney and liver function, gastrointestinal diseases.
These include:
- Paracetamol.
- Aspirin.
- Citramon.
- Analgin.
Active ingredients of 1st generation tablets:
- metamizole sodium (analgin);
Tablets for fever for adults. The list of ingredients includes metamizole sodium. - indomethacin (Metindol);
- paracetamol;
- ibuprofen (Nurofen);
- acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin, Citramon);
- diclofenac (Diklak);
- phenylbutazone (Butadione).
2nd generation products
Active ingredients 2nd generation:
- coxibs (found in Celebrex, Vioxx);
- meloxicam;
- nimesulide (Nise, Nimesil).
These tablets have an anti-inflammatory effect and reduce pain.
They have side effects - cardiovascular system disorders.
2nd generation drugs are safer than 1st generation drugs. They not only eliminate inflammation, but also correct body temperature.
Combined products
Combination drugs gained popularity 10 years ago. They can bring down the temperature and relieve pain at the same time. This type of medicine includes ibuprofen, which contains 2 active substances.
Doctors recommend not taking combination antipyretic pills. According to experts, too many pharmacological substances enter the body. Combined drugs are taken if 1st and 2nd generation drugs do not help individually.
The principle of action of all drugs is almost the same, but each has its own degree of antipyretic and analgesic effect. You cannot take several antipyretics at the same time. A form of anti-inflammatory, fever-reducing medication available to everyone is tablets. Injections are used in severe cases.
How to bring down a child's temperature to 40 at home?
This question is sometimes asked by young parents who are concerned about the health of their child. I will answer: this is a life-threatening condition, call an ambulance immediately! Extreme numbers on the thermometer indicate the development of a serious illness in the child; there is no time for experimentation. The situation may be complicated by seizures and other dangerous things. Don't wait for this to happen.
A friend of mine calls an ambulance for her son when the thermometer shows above 38 oC. She has never been refused, although, in my opinion, this is too much. And at 40 you can’t hesitate for a minute!
If hyperthermia appears, it means that the immune system is fighting inflammation. Whether to knock it down or not depends on how you feel, concomitant diseases, and thermometer readings. In case of minor deviations, it is better not to rush, but to give the body the opportunity to overcome the disease on its own. By lowering the temperature, you will not get rid of the disease, but only muffle the symptoms.
Reducing your temperature without medication is not so difficult, especially when you realize all the benefits. The main advantage of drug-free methods is the absence of side effects and stress on internal organs.
RINZA® and RINZASIP® with vitamin C – help in treating colds
A cold can strike at the most inopportune moment, disrupt plans and bring with it unpleasant symptoms. In this case, it is simply impossible to do without drug treatment. At the first manifestations of acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections, many experts recommend the use of drugs that help alleviate the symptoms of the disease. These drugs include RINZA® and RINZASIP® with vitamin C5,6. Their action is aimed at alleviating the symptoms of colds. The products are available in the form of RINZA® tablets and powders for the preparation of RINZASIP® oral solution with vitamin C5,6. The line also includes the drug RINZASIP® for children (used from 6 years old)7. They have antipyretic and analgesic effects5,6,7.
Up to contents
The information in this article is for reference only and does not replace professional advice from a doctor. To make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment, consult a qualified specialist.
Literature
- L.I. Kalyuzhnaya. Heat disturbances and fever. / L.I. Kalyuzhnaya, D. A. Zemlyanoy // Pediatrician volume VI No. 1 2015, pp. 124-133.
- Delyagin V. M. Fever. The variety of reasons and the complexity of the solution / To help the pediatrician. No. 1 2013, pp. 80-83.
- E.G. Khramtsova. Long-term low-grade fever in childhood: modern aspects of diagnostic search. / E.G. Khramtsova, N.N. Muravyova // Pediatrician, volume IV, No. 2, 2013, pp. 97-105.
- Tsogoeva L.M. Fever of unknown origin (to help the practitioner). / Tsogoeva L.M., Snopkov Yu.P. // Emergency Medicine No. 5(60), 2014, p.40-45
- Instructions for use of the drug RINZA®. Registration number: P N015798/01.
- Instructions for use of the drug RINZASip® with VITAMIN C. Registration number: LS-002579.
- Instructions for use of the drug RINZA® for children. Registration number: LP-001821
At what temperature does human blood clot?
Most often, people are afraid not of complications after a cold or flu, but of a critically high temperature. As soon as it reaches a value of 42 °, the process of blood clotting begins . This leads to the death of the patient.
It is important to consider here that blood clotting is not an instantaneous process. This takes some time. Therefore, even if a person’s temperature rises to 42°, he will not die instantly.
In medicine, rare cases have been recorded when a patient survived and was completely cured even after a temperature of 43°. It all depends on the characteristics of the body.
In any case, the risk of death increases significantly at temperatures of 40° and above. At this time, some people begin to have seizures. If they appear in a patient, then you should not even waste time measuring the temperature; you should immediately call the doctors.
How to bring down the temperature if febrile convulsions begin?
Parents of young children are most afraid of a condition called febrile seizures. This is really not a harmless complication of high fever. It carries a risk of neurological symptoms, cerebral hemorrhages, and status epilepticus in the future.
It is impossible to treat febrile seizures using traditional methods or without consulting a doctor! Febrile seizures are a reason to urgently call a specialist. Before his arrival, it is better to lay the child on his side, gently move his head back to facilitate breathing and make sure that the tongue does not retract.
Will febrile seizures be a reason to be examined by a neurologist? The pediatrician will tell you about this. Isolated cases of seizures due to increased temperature are often found in children born prematurely. But regular repetition of seizures when the temperature rises is a wake-up call for a neurological examination. You may be advised to lower the temperature to temperatures lower than 38.5 °C.
Human body temperature: norm and deviations
The temperature norm is considered to be 36.6°. However, there are permissible deviations in the range from 35.5° to 37.5°.
There are people whose body temperature has been less than 36° almost since childhood. They feel great. At the same time, many at this temperature would feel slightly tired and weak. People live well even with a slightly elevated temperature of 37°.
If a person has a slightly elevated temperature for a long time without obvious cold symptoms, then the probable cause may be:
- Disruptions in the endocrine system;
- Parasitic or fungal infection;
- Tuberculosis;
- Internal inflammatory processes.
Causes of low temperature include:
- Dehydration;
- Anemia;
- Weakened immunity.
It is necessary to reduce the temperature correctly so as not to harm the body. An adult should start using antipyretics after the thermometer shows a reading of 38° or higher. If you have a moderate fever, it is best to avoid taking the pills.
Preventive measures and strengthening immunity
In order for the body to independently cope with infections and fight diseases, it is necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle.
It is recommended to spend more time in the fresh air, play sports or exercise to keep the body in good shape.
Morning exercises help to wake up the body and improve blood flow throughout the body (large and small vessels, tissues, organ systems).
An active lifestyle helps to avoid stagnation and establish an even distribution of lymph and blood throughout all organs and systems. This eliminates the risk of red blood cells sticking together and blood vessel thrombosis, and also helps deliver all the beneficial substances to their destination (organs and tissues).
Enriching the body with oxygen allows the body to turn on metabolic processes and restore cellular structures much faster, which is important during periods of prevention or when pathological conditions appear. Oxygen prevents infection from spreading throughout the body and actively destroys it.
It is important to maintain a nightly rest and workday routine. A person regains his strength during sleep, which should be at least 7-8 hours. Frequent lack of sleep, sleep with short intervals of wakefulness, disrupting the body's rest rhythm, leads the internal organs and nervous system to constant stress. In this case, the temperature 37-37.2 will be your constant companion.
Individual organs restore their functionality during sleep, so it is very important to give the body proper rest so that it does not work for wear and tear. The active functioning of some organs occurs during the day and others at night.
Reduce the number of stressful situations as much as possible. Psychological stress affects not only the state of the nervous system, but also the entire body.
When a person is worried, blood pressure changes, spasms of some organs occur, too much hormones are released that are not currently required for work, and the body urgently begins to fight this and try to respond to the current situation.
The balance of the functions of internal organs is disrupted, resulting in a violation of thermoregulation.
The most important
An increase in temperature with Covid-19 is a signal that the immune system is fighting the infection. In the absence of the alarming signs described in the previous section, there is no need to interfere with the body and use medications. To maintain the functioning of the immune system, it is recommended to observe gentle, or better yet, bed rest, and drink more fluids. If the condition worsens, then you need to call an ambulance.
Don’t forget to read: How and with what to measure temperature during coronavirus and what to do if there is no temperature or it is low?
Source apkhleb.ru