How to quickly reduce a child’s temperature

When your child has an elevated temperature, it can be scary to know what to do. There are many reasons why children’s temperatures might be high, and many different ways to treat them. However, sometimes you may not have access to medical facilities or know the exact cause of your child’s fever.

The good news is that there are simple steps you can take at home that can help reduce a child’s temperature quickly.

Here, are some ways to reduce a child’s fever in just 10 minutes or less.

Consider the cause of the fever

High temperatures should always be taken seriously, especially in infants and children. That’s because any rise above 99 degrees Fahrenheit is considered “high,” and can indicate a serious medical condition.

Unfortunately, there are many reasons why a fever might be elevated, including ear infections, respiratory infections, or even auto-immune disease.

If you’re unsure if your child has a serious medical condition, it’s best to consult with a doctor, who can perform a complete blood count and other tests to figure out the cause of the fever.

In the meantime, take the temperature of your child’s forehead, and look for other signs of the infection.

If your child is burning up, sweating profusely, and is lethargic, she may have a bacterial infection.

Cold Compresses

Sometimes, a fever is caused by infection, and fever is caused by dehydration.

Either way, you want to increase the body’s natural fever reducer by gently washing your child’s forehead with cool water.

Avoid doing this in the shower, because doing so can lower their body temperature by removing body heat from the area.

Try to keep this under the patient’s chin to help retain body heat. If you don’t have a basin handy, you can pour cool water into a bowl or use a cup.

Don’t forget to give the compress a few seconds to absorb, so that it remains cold and wet. Ginger Tea Adding a little ginger to your child’s tea can help reduce their fever.

If you don’t have fresh ginger, you can place it in the microwave and zap it until it is soft. Pour the ginger tea into a clean, clear glass or jug.

Slippery Elm

Cut off a small amount of the bark on an elm tree, soak the bark in hot water and apply it to the child’s forehead. Watermelon Drink about 10 ounces of watermelon juice (about a small bottle).

Vinegar Apply a generous amount of apple cider vinegar to the child’s hair and comb it through.

Hot Tea Get a tea kettle going, fill it with water and add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to make a soothing, warm drink.

Coconut Oil Apply coconut oil directly to the child’s temples and behind his ears. Bloody Mary Scrape a few drops of olive oil into a Bloody Mary mix.

Apple Cider Vinegar Mix 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar with 1/2 cup of water. Give your child a small, spoonful.

Turmeric Add 2 tablespoons of turmeric into a bowl of water and stir until dissolved.

Make a bath

When it comes to the fight against fever, the best way to keep your child happy and comfortable is to keep the fever at bay.

A simple bath can be your best defense against the drop in temperature. Your child will love the opportunity to play in the water, and you will love knowing he will be in better spirits to fight the fever.

Be aware of your child’s heart rate When a child is running a fever, he or she may have difficulty breathing.

This is especially true in kids with asthma. Heart rate is especially high, and so your child’s breathing may not be sufficient to carry oxygen throughout his body.

It’s important to be mindful of your child’s heart rate when making any decisions about treatment.

Use wet washcloth on forehead

It may seem strange that a damp cloth can lower a child’s temperature, but according to healthline.com, it’s not as “ick” as it sounds.

“Pouring water over a child’s forehead can help lower a fever. This can be especially helpful if the child has a fever caused by a fever-causing virus or bacteria,” the site reported. “However, don’t confuse the wetness with a true sweat, which will make the wetness look more like a wet diaper.”

Change diaper According to wellnessbliss.com, you may think changing your child’s diaper will reduce his temperature, but that’s not always the case.

Some children have sensitive skin, and they might react negatively to a diaper change. “The heat of the dirty diaper can actually cause the body to sweat in reaction,” it reported.

Put in cold packs or ice

Ice packs and cold packs are also great for cooling your child down. Most ice packs or ice packs that you can buy at the store are small and have a mouthpiece, making it easy to place them on a child’s forehead.

This is an effective way to quickly reduce a child’s temperature because it works in a number of ways.

It takes the heat off of the body, making it easier for the child to cool down by sweating, or by moving his or her body to help lower their body temperature.

Cold packs can also help to decrease swelling in the brain, making it more comfortable for your child to be in a sitting or standing position.

Cold packs are inexpensive and easy to use, but you need to keep them out of the sun. Putting ice packs in the sun or next to the door can warm up the ice packs.

Drink liquids

If your child’s temperature is high, fluids are important. They hydrate the body, and that, in turn, helps bring down your child’s temperature.

Try adding a few teaspoons of water to a bottle of formula to have the formula in a ready-to-drink form.

Keep a cool washcloth nearby and place it on your child’s forehead, back and neck to help the body stay cool.

This will also help your child fall asleep faster. Heat rash Most children have some form of heat rash, which is usually dry and typically forms from irritation of the skin from an excess of heat and moisture. The same principles of drinking fluids apply here.

Put your child in a cool place with no moisturizers and leave the rash for 15-20 minutes, as long as he’s still active. The rash should then subside.