Treating a Childhood Fever
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Treatment of a mild to moderate non-concerning fever should not be suppressive. The body produces a fever for a reason and we must respect the body?s innate ability to heal itself (unless the fever in itself is cause for concern). Here are some simple and effective ways to holistically help treat a child?s fever:
? Herbs are a useful tool to help manage fevers. Equal parts of yarrow, peppermint, chamomile, and elderflowers can work to help support the body move through the fever without suppressing it. Use 1-2 tsp of total herbs/cup of water and steep up to five minutes. Offer the child ? to 3 cups/day depending on the age of the child.
? Sponge baths in lukewarm water (do not use cold water or alcohol) for no longer than twenty minutes are useful to help reduce fevers. Ensure that the child is protected from drafts during and after the bath. Stop the bath immediately if he/she begins to shiver.
? Essential oils of lavender, rosemary, peppermint or eucalyptus can also be quite beneficial. Add 4-6 drops into a lukewarm sponge or foot bath. These essential oils can also be added to massage oil and rubbed into the back of the neck, shoulders and feet. Do not ingest the essential oils orally ? they are only for external use.
? Garlic massaged into the feet with a little olive oil before bed will act slowly during the night to stabilize the fever. Use fresh pressed, room temperature garlic.
? Homeopathy, a system of medicine that stimulates the innate defensive systems and inner vitality of the body in a very subtle manner, is often one of the most effective treatments for fevers. If the correct homeopathic medicine has been chosen, the child will show noticeable signs of improvement quite quickly. For information on how to choose the ?right? remedy for the child, consult a Naturopathic or Homeopathic Doctor.
If you prefer to take the more conventional route, there are numerous over the counter medications (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, etc.) that are fever-suppressant. Remember, fevers are generally a supportive measure that the body uses to fight infection. Avoid giving aspirin to a child with a fever. Many fevers are virally caused infections, and the combination of aspirin and viral illness has been linked to the development of Reye?s syndrome. Consult your pharmacist or medical doctor for further information.
If the child has a temperature above 103?F and the child does not respond to fever-reducing interventions, acts confused or loses consciousness, begins to have body twitching or eyes rolling, is under six months old, is unusually sleepy or extremely irritable, is having difficulty breathing, has a significant decrease in urine output, has symptoms of a fever accompanied by a headache and/or stiff neck, or looks and feels really sick, consult a health care practitioner at once. These are situations that may require professional intervention.
The human body is instinctually intelligent — children are as well. Fevers are generally a healthy response to alert the body that there is a deeper underlying illness within the body. Fevers are an ally, a tool the body employs to ward of infection and disease. If we suppress fevers, we do not respect the innate ability of the body to heal itself. As I mentioned previously, fevers can be dangerous and should not always be left to ride themselves out; however, where possible, allow the body to manage the fever on its own and do not interrupt its purpose of fighting the underlying cause. Children will notify you with both verbal and non-verbal cues when they are not managing a fever well. Pay close attention to their cues and allow them to rest as much as possible. Children are amazing creatures of strength with innate healing powers.
How to Manage a Fever
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Managing a fever involves a lot of rest and plenty of fluids. Dehydration can occur quickly in infants and children and must be carefully monitored, especially if diarrhea and/or vomiting accompany the fever. For children older than 2 years old, you can offer them water, light broth, vegetable juices, diluted fruit juices and fruit juice popsicles, lemon water, herbal teas, and breast milk, if applicable. A decrease in appetite is often quite normal when a fever is present ? do not force the child to eat. Food will often place more strain on a child?s system and inhibit the body?s ability to fight the underlying infection. Ensure that the child has enough clothes on to prevent a chill, but be sure not to overdress them.
When is Intervention For a Fever Necessary?
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Reducing a child?s slight fever is often unnecessary and may in fact prolong the length of the illness. Evaluating when intervention is necessary is the key to supporting a child?s experience when a fever is present. Generally, unless the child?s fever is higher than 102?F, fever-reducing medication may not be necessary. With a temperature of 103?F or higher, children will often look and feel awful, independent of what is causing the fever. An infection or simple cold will often not produce symptoms that are as physically draining as the fever itself. It is important to always assess if the fever is beneficial or complicating the situation. There are times when you will want to actively work to lower a fever. As previously stated, a fever between 101.5?F and 103?F is helping their system overcome infection.
The following are situations where it may be necessary to work at lowering a fever:
? The child?s temperature is 103.5?F or higher for more than an hour
? The fever climbs above 105?F
? The child has a history of febrile seizures
? The child is really exhausted or uncomfortable because of the fever
A fever over 107?F can damage a child?s central nervous system. It is more uncommon for a fever to raise that high unless there is another factor complicating the acute illness. Lowering a fever may help to assess the severity of the illness. If a child feels significantly better after the fever is lowered, there is generally less cause for concern than if he/she continues to feel terrible. Remember to always search for the cause of the fever and not just treat the symptom of an increased temperature.
What is a Fever?
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A fever is defined as a body temperature elevated to at least 1?F above 98.6?F. However, there are natural variations amongst people?s set body temperatures. Orally, a child?s normal temperature can range, on average, anywhere between 96.8?F and 99.4?F. Although fever is often a sign that there is an infection in the body, in children (especially under the age of eight) the height of the fever does not always correlate with the severity of the illness. For example, a child may have a slight runny nose and cough and exhibit a raging fever, whereas another child may have a more serious cold but exhibit no fever at all. Thus, drawing conclusions about a child?s health or sickness based exclusively on the symptom of a fever is not representative of the whole picture. It is important to evaluate a child?s behavior in areas such as appetite, mood and temperament, level of activity, degree of lethargy, responsiveness and ability to be consoled in order to determine how sick they are. Fever may often be the first sign of an illness, even when no other symptoms are present; however, it is essential to always investigate for the cause of the fever. Some common causes of childhood fevers may include chicken pox, ear infections, and influenza, to name a few. Other common causes of elevated temperatures that are non-illness related include over-excitement, overdressing, exercise, dehydration, mosquito bites and bee stings, or an allergic reaction.
Can Kids Get Chiropractic Care?
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Absolutely, kids can get chiropractic care! Kids may benefit from chiropractic care just like adults. More and more parents are seeking chiropractic care for their children.
Children are very physically active and experience many types of falls and blows from activities of daily living as well as from participating in sports.
Chiropractic can not “cure” conditions such as colic or ear infections, but there is some evidence to indicate that it may have a beneficial effect on a variety of conditions. For example, research conducted in Denmark resulted in chiropractic treatment being recommended for the relief of infantile colic. Similarly, a recent U.S. study concluded that the application of manual techniques in children with recurring ear infections can prevent or decrease surgical intervention or antibiotic overuse.
Chiropractic care is always adapted to the individual patient, no matter their age. Chiropractic adjusting procedures are modified to fit a child’s size, weight, and unique spinal condition. They are both gentle and specific to the child’s developing spinal structures. Most parents report that their children enjoy their chiropractic adjustments and look forward to subsequent visits. They also report that their children experience a greater level of health while under regular chiropractic care. It is a highly skilled treatment, and especially in the case of children, very gentle.
Why Is Posture Important?
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The spine is extremely flexible yet it also provides protection for the spinal cord, nervous system and supports the internal organs. By analogy, it acts more like a flexible spring which is capable of withstanding forces, rather than a stick, which when enough force is applied to it will eventually break.
Posture is the clinical term used to describe the alignment of the bones and joints in your body. In a healthy posture, the bones and joints are aligned to minimize stress and wear & tear by having the structural parts of your body do all the work. Unhealthy posture means your body is positioned or aligned such that the “soft tissues” (ligaments, tendons and muscles), which easily get overloaded, are doing all the work. Correct posture is a function of a properly maintained body.
Gravity is one force that continually acts to compress our body. With poor posture, its effects can overload our body and lead to damage. Consider that your head weighs about the same as a bowling ball. Now consider that for every inch forward your head goes while you slouch, you double the weight that your soft tissues have to carry!
Posture is assessed by your chiropractor by viewing the spine from behind and from the side. When viewed from behind while standing you should notice that the spine is straight and that it does not tilt to one side or the other. The shoulders and hips should be even and level. Normal posture from the side is seen in patients when a line passes through the center of the ear to the center of the shoulder, down to the center of the hip and knee and to the ankle. If you do not line up along these lines, your alignment is at fault and your posture is abnormal.
What Can I Expect from a Chiropractic Visit?
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A first office visit consists of the patient meeting the doctor and the office staff. The patient is then asked to fill in a confidential patient history form that is detailed and thorough, to help the doctor have the information necessary to provide the best possible care. Then the doctor will go over with the patient the reasons why he/she sought care at the office and ask other pertinent questions to best serve the patient’s needs. Your home and work life as well as your level of physical activity may also affect your health, so don’t be surprised to be asked questions about these too.
Following a thorough history, the doctor performs a detailed spinal examination, usually with an assistant in the room taking notes. Then, if necessary, the doctor may take X-rays.
The doctor will schedule another appointment to where they will go over all the results found with the patient to explain in detail what has been found. The chiropractor will also go over what is necessary for optimal health to return and recommend a schedule of care. The length of time you have had the problem, your age and the degree of your disability all affect the length of your treatment. A chiropractor may also make general health recommendations to keep you healthy.
After having a chance to ask questions, the patient will be asked for permission to start care. After the first visit some people may have some tender spots, much like after starting an exercise program for a short period of time. However, most people experience no tenderness at all.
Your chiropractor may also give you information and guidance for staying healthy through proper nutrition, exercise and lifestyle changes.
A visit to a chiropractor should not be rushed and you should always receive friendly service, as service-oriented visits are part of the overall chiropractic experience.
How Does Chiropractic Work?
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The practice of chiropractic is based on sound scientific principles. The existence of the nervous system as the primary control mechanism of the body is an undisputed scientific fact. Its relationship with the spine is the focus of the practice of chiropractic. The spine is formed early in development to provide two important functions: (1) allow for support and freedom of movement, and (2) house and protect the spinal cord. The spinal cord carries information from the brain to the body parts and information from the body back to the brain again. Together, the spinal cord and brain form your central nervous system.
When the bones (vertebrae) of the spine become misaligned through trauma or repetitive smaller injuries (like posture), two major consequences can result: (1) the range of motion becomes limited and (2) spinal nerves emerging from the spinal cord can be compromised. Chiropractors use the term “subluxation” to describe such disruptions.
Subluxations are misalignments or distortions of the spinal column, or other joints of the structural system that irritate, stretch, impinge or otherwise interfere with the proper function of the nervous system. Since the nervous system controls all functions of the body, any interference to it can cause pain and discomfort or have wide-ranging effects.
Conversely, the removal of that interference has been shown to have significant, lasting health benefits. Chiropractors are well-trained to help you further enhance your health and wellness by taking preventive measures to avoid injury, by providing lifestyle and nutritional counselling, and by prescribing therapeutic exercise.
Understanding and Managing Childhood Fevers - Are They Bad?
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Fevers are often a source of stress and confusion when it pertains to children. ?How long should I let a fever linger for??, ?Is a fever good or is it dangerous??, ?When does a fever become too high?? These are a few of the most commonly asked questions posed to me in my Naturopathic Medical practice by teachers, childcare workers, and parents. As a parent, I know the distress of an uncomfortable, cranky, fevering child; as a Naturopathic Doctor, I witness the discomfort of caregivers as they struggle with the questions around treatment of a fever. Please find below a guideline for managing childhood fevers. However, I want to be clear that every child is unique, and therefore every fever situation must be addressed on a child by child basis by either a medical and/or naturopathic doctor.
Fevers are a common symptom associated with many childhood illnesses, not a disease in and of itself. Fevers are a defence mechanism employed by the body to fight infections ? they occur in response to bacteria and/or viruses and are a sign that the immune system has been triggered to help fight an infection in the body. Many viruses and bacteria do not survive as well in a body with an elevated temperature, thus making the fever an ally in the process of fighting the infection. In addition, fevers help to increase the mobility and killing ability of white blood cells which also help to fight infection. A rise in temperature enhances the immune system?s ability to destroy the infection and is actually a strong and vital sign that the immune system is competently doing its job.
What is Chiropractic?
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Chiropractic is a drug-free, hands-on approach to health care that includes patient assessment, diagnosis and treatment. Today, many people are interested in more than the absence of disease, they are interested in wellness - optimal physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Chiropractic’s premise rests on the foundation that the ability to maintain health depends on the body’s continued ability to adapt to its environment. Chiropractic focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system (joints, bones and muscles) and the effects of these disorders on the nervous system and general health. Chiropractic is one of the largest primary-contact health care professions in North America. It is a regulated health profession recognized by statute in all American states.
Chiropractic is firmly grounded in science. Few other health care interventions have been assessed as extensively as chiropractic, both in terms of safety and effectiveness. There have been at least six formal government inquiries into chiropractic worldwide over the last 25 years and all have concluded that contemporary chiropractic care is safe, effective, and cost-effective and have recommended public funding for chiropractic services. In addition, there have been countless scientific clinical studies assessing the appropriateness, effectiveness, and/or cost-effectiveness of chiropractic care.
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