#BlogchatterA2Z- “F”- Fever- causes, symptoms & homeopathic treatment!

April 7, 2021 /

This is day 6 of #BlogchatterA2Z and as “F”, I am excited to share useful information about another common disease, its causes and homeopathic treatment.

As “F”, I am talking about fever? What is fever? What are the causes and other associated symptoms of fever? What is the homeopathic treatment for fever? Read the post to know more!

What is Fever?

The normal body temperature range is 97 to 99 F. when body temperature goes above the 100 F or higher is considered as a fever. Fever itself is not a disease, it is more a symptom of any underlying disease or cause. It is usually a response of body’s defense mechanism to fight off the infections (bacterial, viral or other). Fever is a sign to indicate that your body’s immune system is working well to protect against infections.

Usually, fever is a self-limiting condition and did not require any specific treatment. Expert suggested to not take medications to suppressing the fever during initial stage, as this is body’s natural system to flush out toxins and make body healthy in a natural way.

Pathology of fever (how fever symptoms develop?)

The part of brain that regulate normal body temperature is called “Hypothalamus”. When due to any reasons (like bacterial or viral infections), body get infected, the hypothalamus shifts the set points of normal body temperature upwards. And because of this change we feel chilled and may start shivering as a protective mechanism to generate more body.

Fever grades

Different stages of fever — different stages of fever

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Usually, it is divided in to three grades:

Low grade fever >98.6-100.4-degree F
Moderate grade fever 100.4-degree F-102.2-degree F
High Grade fever >102.2-degree F

Causes of fever

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There is long list of disease conditions that can cause “Fever” as a prominent symptom. Such as:

As a result of viral infections causing cough-cold and flu.
Bacterial infections like streptococcus causes fever.
Urinary tract infection also causes fever
Sinusitis
Ear infection
Inflammatory bowel disease also causes fever
Gastroenteritis (gastric infection) also causes fever. This type of fever is usually associated with other gastric symptoms like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke causes high grade fever.
Respiratory diseases like tuberculosis and bronchitis also causes fever.
Typhoid, malaria and other topical disease conditions causes fever as main symptom.
Certain inflammatory conditions such as Rheumatoid arthritis causes fever.
Covid 19 infection causes fever as main symptom
Side effect of certain medications including some antibiotics and anti-seizure medicines.
After certain vaccination and immunization, fever develops as a minor side effect.
Teething (in infants)

Symptoms

Here are some common symptoms that is associated with fever.

High body temperature
Severe headache
Bodyache
Shivering and chills
Sweating (in third stage of fever)
Stiffness and/or pain in joint (in case of rheumatic fever and rheumatic arthritis)
Minor cough, runny nose and other respiratory symptoms (if it is caused by viral infections)
Gastric symptoms nausea, vomiting and diarrhea (if caused by gastric infections)
Loss of appetite
Weakness
Dehydration (in some cases, when fever is associated with diarrhea)
Mental confusion and delirium (if high grade fever is present)

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of fever is usually made on the basis of clinical symptoms and general physical examination. For making a proper diagnosis, it is very important to know the cause of fever. On the basis of other associated symptoms (like gastric symptoms in case of gastric infection), doctor make a proposed diagnosis and confirm it by other diagnostic measures like blood test, X-rays or Ultrasonography (USG).

Warning signs

Here are some warning signs that indicate to take immediate professional medical care for treating fever symptoms.

Presence of high-grade fever (above 104 F) in both children and adults
Fever in infants (above 100 F) require immediate medical attention.
When there is development of neurological symptoms (like stiffness in neck, drowsiness and severe headache) occur along with fever.
When person is suffering from any chronic lifestyle like heart disease or kidney disease.
Patients with history of HIV (AIDS) infection or suffering from cancerous condition.
Fever in pregnant women
When fever symptoms did not respond to routine at home treatment and symptoms get worse day by day.
Fever is accompanied by serious signs of infections in other parts of body (like urinary tract infection)
When there are signs of dehydration appears (usually in case of gastric infections) along with fever.

Home care tips for treating fever symptoms

Mostly, fever is a symptom of common viral infections and associated with common cough, cold and flu symptoms. Viral fever is a self-limiting disease condition and did not require any specific treatment except some home care measures such as:

Take proper rest
Maintain a good level of hydration by taking fluids (juice, soups)
Dress comfortably
Cool down with wet compresses (if fever is high)
Consume easy to digest diet such as soup and other warm drinks
Take steam if fever is associated with respiratory symptoms like blockage of nose.
Check fever frequently to know the progression and regression of symptoms
Take immediate professional medical help if symptoms get worse and did not response well to home care measures.

Homeopathic treatment of fever

Homeopathy is one of the best options to treat mild fever symptoms at home. Here are some excellent remedies that work great in treating fever conditions.

Aconite

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when there in sudden onset of fever and caused by exposure to cold dry wind. Also, there is restlessness and mental anxiousness are pre-dominant symptoms. Aconite is suitable for first 24 hours (initial stage of inflammation) of fever or any other inflammatory conditions like cough, cold.