How to Treat a Fever

Backgrounder

A fever is a sign that someone is sick. You need to treat a fever. You also need to find out what is causing the sickness. Treating a fever is the same for every disease. But the treatment for the many diseases that cause a fever are different. This is why a person must go to the health clinic if they think they have a fever.

You get a fever because your body is working hard to fight the germs inside you. The harder your body works the higher your temperature goes. It is like the days when you are working hard in the fields. While you work your body temperature rises and you perspire. When you are sick your temperature rises as your body works hard to get rid of all the germs.

A person with a fever has a body temperature that is higher than normal. Some people use a thermometer to check a person’s temperature.

If you don’t have a thermometer, place the back of one of your hands on the sick person’s forehead and the back of your other hand on your own forehead. If the person has a fever their forehead will feel hotter than yours.

Here is how you can treat a fever

To lower the fever, remove extra clothing and place cool, wet cloths over the chest and forehead. Stay in a cool or shady place.

Drink lots of water. As your body temperature rises you sweat away your body fluid. So you need to drink a lot of water and other liquids to replace what you are losing.

Eat lots of good food. Your body needs energy from good foods because it is working hard to fight the fever. You must also rest as much as possible.

Some of the diseases that cause fever can be dangerous. It is important to find out what is causing the fever. This is why you should take anyone with a fever to the health clinic.

Remember, a person with a fever should keep cool, drink lots of liquids, eat well, get plenty of rest, and visit the health clinic as soon as possible.