How To Get Rid Of Fever In South Africa

How To Get Rid Of Fever In South Africa

What is Fever?

A fever is a temporary rise in body temperature. It’s one part of an overall response from the body’s immune system. A fever is usually caused by an infection.

For most children and adults, a fever may be uncomfortable. But it usually isn’t a cause for concern. For infants, however, even a low fever may mean there’s a serious infection.

Fevers generally go away within a few days. A number of over-the-counter medications lower a fever. But you don’t necessarily need to treat a fever if it’s not causing discomfort.

Symptoms

Body temperatures vary slightly from person to person and at different times of day. The average temperature has traditionally been defined as 98.6 F (37 C). A temperature taken using a mouth thermometer (oral temperature) that’s 100 F (37.8 C) or higher is generally considered to be a fever.

Depending on what’s causing a fever, other fever signs and symptoms may include:

  • Sweating
  • Chills and shivering
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches
  • Loss of appetite
  • Irritability
  • Dehydration
  • General weakness

How To Get Rid Of Fever In South Africa

In most cases, people recover from fever without any specific treatment or medical attention. What’s more important is treating whatever may be causing the fever – for example, taking antibiotics if a bacterial infection is implicated. Some over the-counter medicines can be effective antipyretics (the term for drugs used for fever treatment) – these include aspirin (suitable for adults only) and ibuprofen.

Sponging or bathing a child with a high temperature in tepid water or the use of cooling fans can increase comfort levels.

Prevention

You may be able to prevent fevers by reducing exposure to infectious diseases. Here are some tips that can help:

  • Get vaccinated as recommended for infectious diseases, such as influenza and COVID-19.
  • Follow public health guidelines for wearing masks and social distancing.
  • Wash your hands often and teach your children to do the same, especially before eating, after using the toilet, after spending time in a crowd or around someone who’s sick, after petting animals, and during travel on public transportation.
  • Show your children how to wash their hands thoroughly, covering both the front and back of each hand with soap and rinsing completely under running water.
  • Carry hand sanitizer with you for times when you don’t have access to soap and water.
  • Try to avoid touching your nose, mouth or eyes, as these are the main ways that viruses and bacteria can enter your body and cause infection.
  • Cover your mouth when you cough and your nose when you sneeze, and teach your children to do the same. Whenever possible, turn away from others and cough or sneeze into your elbow to avoid passing germs along to them.
  • Avoid sharing cups, water bottles and utensils with your child or children.

Try Herbal Remedies

People sometimes try herbal remedies to treat a fever. Keep in mind that these supplements have been shown to improve fever in animals. There’s no reliable evidence that they work in humans. Their safety in children is often unclear or unknown, too. It’s best to avoid these remedies in children.

It’s also important to note that the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t monitor the quality of supplements like they do for drugs. Talk to your doctor before trying any supplements. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Moringa

Moringa is a tropical plant that has a variety of nutritional and medicinal benefits. Almost all parts of the plant contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and antibacterial agents. A 2014 studyTrusted Source found that moringa bark reduced fevers in rabbits.

More research is needed to determine how this plant can reduce fevers in humans. Some research suggests it may be gentler on the liver than over-the-counter medication such as acetaminophen.

Don’t use moringa if you:

  • are pregnant
  • take medications that are substrates of cytochrome P450, such as lovastatin (Altoprev), fexofenadine (Allegra), or ketoconazole (Nizoral)

In one case report, consumption of moringa leaves lead to a rare disease of the skin and mucous membranes called Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS). This suggests people at risk of developing SJS should avoid using moringa. However, this was the first reported case and the reaction should be considered extremely rare.

Kudzu root

Kudzu root is an herb used in traditional Chinese medicine. It has anti-inflammatory properties and may help reduce pain. A 2012 study also suggests that it reduced fevers in rats, but human studies are needed to evaluate this properly.

Avoid using kudzu root if you:

  • take tamoxifen
  • have hormonal-sensitive cancer, such as ER-positive breast cancer
  • take methotrexate (Rasuvo)

If you take diabetes medications, talk to your doctor before trying kudzu root. It may lead to low blood sugar, requiring a change in medication.

You can find kudzu root in the form a powder, capsule, or liquid extract online.

Stay cool

You can help cool down your body by surrounding it with cooler temperatures. Make sure you don’t overdo it. If you start to shiver, stop immediately. Shivering can cause your fever to rise.

Things you can do to safely cool off include the following:

  • Sit in a bath of lukewarm water, which will feel cool when you have a fever. (Cold water will actually cause your body to warm up instead of cool down.)
  • Give yourself a sponge bath with lukewarm water.
  • Wear light pajamas or clothing.
  • Try to avoid using too many extra blankets when you have chills.
  • Drink plenty of cool or room-temperature water.
  • Eat popsicles.
  • Use a fan to keep air circulating.

When to see a doctor

Fevers by themselves may not be a cause for alarm — or a reason to call a doctor. Yet there are some circumstances when you should seek medical advice for your baby, your child or yourself.

Infants and toddlers

A fever is a particular cause for concern in infants and toddlers. Call your baby’s health care provider if your child is:

  • Younger than 3 months old and has a rectal temperature of 100.4 F (38 C) or higher.
  • Between 3 and 6 months old and has a rectal temperature higher than 102 F (38.9 C) or has a lower temperature but seems unusually irritable, sluggish or uncomfortable.
  • Between 7 and 24 months old and has a rectal temperature higher than 102 F (38.9 C) that lasts longer than one day but shows no other symptoms. If your child also has other signs and symptoms, such as a runny nose, cough or diarrhea, you can call sooner.

Children

There’s probably no cause for alarm if your child has a fever but is responsive. This means your child makes eye contact with you and responds to your facial expressions and to your voice. Your child may also be drinking fluids and playing.

Call your child’s health care provider if your child:

  • Is listless, confused or has poor eye contact with you.
  • Is irritable, vomits repeatedly, has a severe headache, sore throat, stomachache or other symptoms causing a lot of discomfort.
  • Has a fever after being left in a hot car. Seek medical care immediately.
  • Has a fever that lasts longer than three days.
  • Has a seizure associated with the fever. Call 911 if the seizure lasts more than five minutes or your child doesn’t recover quickly.

Ask your child’s health care provider for guidance in special circumstances, such as a child with immune system problems or with a preexisting illness.

Adults

Call your health care provider if your temperature is 103 F (39.4 C) or higher. Seek immediate medical attention if any of these signs or symptoms accompanies a fever:

  • Severe headache
  • Rash
  • Unusual sensitivity to bright light
  • Stiff neck and pain when you bend your head forward
  • Mental confusion, strange behavior or altered speech
  • Persistent vomiting
  • Difficulty breathing or chest pain
  • Abdominal pain
  • Pain when urinating
  • Convulsions or seizures

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you break a fever in South Africa?

First aid for fever

  1. Administer paracetamol to reduce a fever of 40°C or higher.
  2. Encourage the person to drink plenty of water or fruit juices.
  3. For a temperature above 40°C, bathe or sponge the skin with lukewarm water (not cold water). …
  4. Remove extra layers of clothing.
  5. Encourage the person to rest.

What gets rid of a fever quickly?

Rest and drink plenty of fluids. Medication isn’t needed. Call the doctor if the fever is accompanied by a severe headache, stiff neck, shortness of breath, or other unusual signs or symptoms. If you’re uncomfortable, take acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or aspirin.

What is considered a fever in South Africa?

If your temperature is over 38°C when measured orally, then you are considered to have a fever. Fevers happen when your immune system is fighting off infections such as colds, coughs and ear infections. The body’s normal temperature is around 37°C, however it can vary according to the time of day.

Does panadol reduce fever?

One of its core ingredients in all Panadol products is acetaminophen, an antipyretic that helps reset the body’s thermostat and lowers raised temperatures. Panadol can help reduce fever and help you feel better. If you fever is not accompanied with other symptoms, you can use Panadol Extra Strength*.

How long do fevers last?

Most fevers usually go away by themselves after 1 to 3 days. A persistent or recurrent fever may last or keep coming back for up to 14 days. A fever that lasts longer than normal may be serious even if it is only a slight fever.

How long is Covid fever?

Post-COVID-19 symptoms, such as lingering cough, on and off fever, weakness, and changes to your senses of smell or taste, can persist for weeks or even months after you recover from acute illness. Persistent symptoms are sometimes known as long COVID-19.

What can I take for Covid fever?

Acetaminophen, also called paracetamol or Tylenol, helps to reduce fevers and can definitely help manage muscle pain and body aches associated with COVID-19.

What body temperature should I take paracetamol?

Was this answer helpful? Above 100°f at least if you are having fever. However if your body weight is above 70kg consider paracetamol 650 mg instead of 500mg.

Is Nurofen good for fever?

Stay cool by wearing light clothes and sleeping with light bedclothes. Keep the room at a comfortable temperature. You could take a fever reducing medicine such as Nurofen.

Why do fevers spike at night?

Fever. Why it’s worse at night: Body temperature rises naturally in the evening, so a fever that was slight during the day can easily spike during sleep.

How long does it take for a fever to break?

Everyone is different when it comes to when their fever breaks. However, the average is one to three days. That said, some fevers are rather persistent and can last up to 14 days. The higher the temperature, the more serious the fever.