Home Remedies for Fever
A fever, which may also be known as Pyrexia (a fever of unknown origin), is one of the body's responses to illness. By heating up, the body is fighting off the invading germs. There are times, however, when fevers get dangerously high or last a long time and need to be brought down with an effective fever treatment. Many herbs have properties that lend themselves to natural treatment for fever.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a fever may include a high temperature, headache, muscle ache, shivering, loss of appetite, burning eyes, coated tongue, a feeling of heaviness and nausea and an excessive production of saliva.
Causes
Fever is usually caused by an infection. Infections can be viral like chicken pox or bacterial. Fever is the body's attempt to kill off the invading illness.
Cautions
See your doctor if your fever is 103 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, if it lasts longer than 72 hours, if it is accompanied by a severe headache, a stiff neck or severe abdominal or back pain, if you're coughing up discolored phlegm or if it hurts to urinate. Check in with your doctor if you have a history of diabetes, heart disease or other chronic illness.
Home Remedies for Fever
Internal Applications
- Pineapple – eat fresh pineapple or drink the juice. The juice can prevent dehydration while pineapple's natural anti-inflammatory properties fight the fever.
- Basil – mix 1 teaspoon of basil with ¼ teaspoon of black pepper and allow it to steep in 1 cup of hot water for a few minutes to make a tea. Drink this 2 or 3 times per day.
- Oregano – make a tea from 1 teaspoon of oregano and 1 teaspoon of marjoram in a pint of boiling water. Allow the mixture to steep for half an hour. Strain and drink the tea a couple times per day. It should be consumed warm.
- Elderberry – drink elderberry tea to encourage perspiration and break a fever. Take 3 cups a day.
- Linden flower – this herb promotes sweating and is often used when a fever induces chills. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1 teaspoon of dried linden flowers. Steep the solution, and then strain out the herbs. Drink 1 or 2 cups per day.
- Uva ursi – add uva ursi to your herbal tea to cleanse the kidneys, since they are affected during a fever.
- Yarrow - 4 grams dried herb in 1 cup boiling water infused for 5 minutes. Strain and drink 3 cups day. Other herbal teas that are useful during fever include andographis, chamomile, mint and sage.
External Applications
- Rosemary – take a bath in water to which rosemary has been added. This can be either a small branch or a few drops of essential oil to relieve fever. Add a few drops of lavender or bergamot to make it work even better.
- Lavender – apply a cool compress to the forehead that contains a few drops of lavender essential oil to relieve fever. Other essential oils that can be used the same way include lemon and tea tree oil.