How to Treat Fever in Children
When your child has a fever, you should not immediately panic. Fever is a symptom of an increase in body temperature which is usually based on certain conditions, such as infection. How to treat fever in children will be easier to do if you are aware of the causes of fever in children.
Fever is believed to be the body's defense reaction against various things such as infection or other causes of fever. When a child has a fever, it is likely that the child will feel uncomfortable. However, not all fevers are dangerous, depending on the cause and treatment.
Causes of Fever in Children
There are many things that can cause fever in children. As a parent you are advised to find out the causes of fever in children so that when their child has a fever they are not confused and panicked.
Some of the most common causes of fever in children are as follows:
1. Immunization
Babies may develop a fever after being immunized. This fever is classified as mild and does not always occur. Generally, fever lasts a short time, usually the health service has provided parents with information and also fever reducer medication.
2. Teething
There are several signs that occur when a child is teething. For example, fussiness, drooling more than usual, difficulty eating and having a fever that is generally not high. In addition, when teething, the child may also feel pain.
3. Flu
The flu is often caused by an infection. One of the signs that your child has the flu is a fever. In addition to fever, it can also be accompanied by other symptoms such as not feeling well, feel weak, sore throat, cough, and stomach pain. The temperature during a fever due to the flu is generally quite high, reaching 38 degrees Celsius or more. Also read articles about: How to Treat Flu in Babies At Home.
4. Headache
Headaches can cause fever. Headaches in children can be triggered by a variety of conditions. Starting from lack of food intake, fatigue, stress, and infections such as upper respiratory tract infections can also cause headaches in children. In addition, tension headaches or migraines may also be experienced by children. Headaches experienced by children are generally shorter than those experienced by adults. High fever also often causes headaches.
How to Treat Fever in Children
A child's body can be called a fever if his body temperature rises to more than 37.5 degrees Celsius. Although fever is not always dangerous, you should not take it lightly. That's because, under certain conditions, fever can be a sign that the body is experiencing a condition that must be wary of.
Fever that must be watched out for and requires special attention, namely fever in children under two years of age, fever in children with a history of seizures, high fever, namely body temperature above 39 degrees Celsius, fever that occurs repeatedly or continuously and lasts more than one week, and fever accompanied by loss of consciousness.
When a child has a fever, there are several treatments that must be done, including:
1. Check his temperature
To check your child's temperature, you can use a thermometer. Normal body temperature ranges from 36.5-37.5 degrees Celsius. If the body temperature is more than that, it can be said that your child has a fever. In infants, it is recommended that body temperature be measured using a rectal temperature.
2. Check other symptoms appear
When your child has a fever, pay attention to the symptoms or behavior he shows. If the fever is accompanied by a sore throat, lethargy, stomach pain, or feeling pain when urinating, consult a doctor immediately to determine the cause. Fever in infants aged 3 months and under, it is recommended to always be checked by a doctor because at that age babies are still very susceptible to various diseases.
3. Give medicine and increase fluid intake
If your child has a fever, you can give him fever-reducing medicine. One of the fever-lowering medicines that can be given is paracetamol. This fever-reducing medicine is classified as safe for consumption by children, as long as it is consumed according to the prescribed dose. You should not give aspirin to children because it can trigger Reye's syndrome.
Do not forget, increase fluid intake, to replace lost body fluids during a fever. In addition, you can also help him by compressing to increase the comfort of the child. It would be better if the child was examined by a doctor, so that the underlying cause of the fever can be treated appropriately.
Thus the explanation that we can write about how to treat fever in children, hopefully it can be useful.
