Homeopathic Treatment for Fevers

I do love a good fever. However, to treat or not to treat, that is the question. While I’m a huge fan of letting it ride, homeopathic treatment of fevers can assist the body with healing while not suppressing the fever.

Are You Fever Phobic?

In our world, we are very conditioned to be scared of fevers. And while they can be scary, fevers are so beneficial when we are sick. THIS is a great article outlining the benefits of a fever. I love that he encourages every parent and grandparent to own Dr. Mendelsohn’s book, How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor. There’s a whole chapter on fevers, when to worry, when to head to the doctor, and when it’s perfectly normal. The worries of a febrile seizure can be a real fear. Statistically, though a febrile seizure is rare occurring in about 4 out of 100 children ages 6 months to 5 years old. They last anywhere from a few seconds to up to 15 minutes. However, having had a febrile seizure does not mean epilepsy. It’s actually the body’s way of slowing down a fever that is rising too fast. We are fearfully and wonderfully made! God put in a brake system to keep the fever in its lane.

A Broken System

Sometimes, however, the brake system is broken. The body is made to stop a fever from getting into the danger zone. But if there is pre-existing brain damage, the brakes may no longer work. If the fever is caused by poison or external heat, it needs to be brought down. A child under the age of 6 months who has a fever over 101 should be seen by a medical doctor. A raised temperature of any amount in a child under two months of age…head straight to the ER.

The biggest danger with a fever is dehydration. The fever causes the heart rate to speed up, therefore, sending more white blood cells around the body. It also causes an elevated respiration rate. And as we breathe faster we lose fluids through our breath. Plus, when you have a fever, eating and drinking just don’t seem high on the priority list.

How to Combat Dehydration

The simple answer is more fluids. Some will say any fluid, but I must disagree with this. Sugary drinks will not help. In fact, sugar suppresses the immune system for up to 12 hours. Bone broth is the best thing.

You can also rub olive oil on the hands and feet and cover them with cotton socks to help retain fluids and to nourish the body in a gentle way.

Back to Our Question…Treat or not to Treat

My usual go-to is not to treat. Fevers make us feel lousy. When we feel lousy we tend to be still and rest. Rest is highly important and should be prioritized in healing.

Taking an over-the-counter drug that lowers your fever does nothing to reduce the infection. In fact, it may make the infection worse and last longer. Check out THIS article from the New England Journal of Medicine. Countless times I’ve heard how a person’s fever keeps going higher and higher after the OTC wears off. I call it bounce-back. I think it’s the body’s way of cranking up the heat while it can.

Conversely, homeopathic treatment of fevers does not suppress the body’s natural ability to heal. Remedies support the body and help it heal itself. While I usually don’t treat fevers in my family, when I have they are highly effective.