Fever
“Humanity has but three great enemies: fever, famine, and war, and of these by far the greatest, by far the most terrible, is fever.”
- (William Osler)
Fever is encountered or experienced frequently by healthcare professionals and laypersons in day to day life. The disease has been recognized as one of the hallmarks of clinical diseases since ancient times. In medical terms, the normal body temperature is considered around a set point of 37 ± 1°C. The variance between the highest and lowest core temperature in a day is not more than 1° to 1.5°C.
‘Fever’ is a physiologic disorder in which the temperature is raised above one's normal temperature. The disease is also known as ‘pyrexia’ and ‘hyperthermia’. Along with fever patients usually experience symptoms like weakness, muscle weakness, body ache, back pain, and headache.
What usually Causes a Fever?
Fever occurs when a part of the brain called the hypothalamus deviates from the normal temperature of the body to a higher level. When this happens, you may feel unusual cold and shivering to generate more body heat. Henceforth, this results in elevated body temperature.
The different possible medical condition that can trigger fever are:
- Infection which includes flu, common cold, and pneumonia
- Some immunizations, such as diphtheria or tetanus (in children)
- Teething (in infants)
- Some inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease
- Blood clots
- Extreme sunburn
- Food poisoning
- Some medications, including antibiotics
According to the cause of fever, additional symptoms may include:
- Sweating
- Shivering
- A headache
- Muscle aches
- A loss of appetite
- Dehydration
- General weakness
What are the symptoms of fever?
The common signs and symptoms linked with fever are, are linked to what is known as sickness behavior, and may include:
- Feeling cold when nobody else does
- Shivering
- Lack of appetite
- Dehydration
- Depression
- Hyperalgesia, or increased sensitivity to pain
- Lethargy
- Problem in concentrating
- Lack of sleep
- Sweating
In the case of high fever, there are chances of irritability, confusion, and seizures.
1. Tulsi
Tulsi, commonly known as Holy basil in most of the places stands out very high in therapeutic value. The plant is used in numerous forms including powders, extracts, tonics, etc. Tulsi along with its pungent taste and powerful constituents makes an ideal medicine for reducing fever. Tulsi also helps in purifying the body, helps to treat indigestion and maintains immunity.
Take a bunch of Tulsi leaves and clean them in running water. Squeeze the leaves and extract the juice out of it. Drink this thrice daily before meals.
Although many scientific studies are not done to validate many of the properties of the plant, there are enough shreds of evidence to validate Tulsi’s effect on fever. The active content eugenol has a positive influence on maintaining immunity. Tulsi was successful in proving the antipyretic study conducted.
2. Ginger
Ginger is a highly recommended drug for pacifying fever. Ginger acts stronger when fever is associated with congestion. It also aids healthy digestion
Ginger can be taken in form of raw juice, powdered extract, or in combination with other herbs like Tulsi. Ginger juice is best for consumption before food twice daily.
Ginger contains bioactive compounds ‘Gingerol’ which help in the management of fever. Ginger also possess immunomodulatory analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties
3. Giloy
The drug is also known as Guduchi or Amrita. This commonly available climber is undoubtedly the best natural antipyretic found out till date. Its bitter, sweet and hot qualities make it an excellent remedy for the management of fever.
Guduchi is used in the form of powder. 500mg of powder can be used twice daily in divided doses along with a teaspoon of honey.
4. Black Pepper
5. Coriander Seeds
