Taking a Bath With a Fever

What do you do when you suddenly start feeling chilly and feverish? You probably wrap yourself in a dozen blankets to prevent yourself from getting cold and perhaps with a hope to reduce the temperature. Taking a bath with a fever seems out of question, right? Wrong! You probably end up doing all the wrong stuff, when you have fever and you are trying to get well at home. Though, getting under a shower or in a bathtub sounds a cruel idea, when you are shivering with cold, it can be actually beneficial for your fever treatment. Hence, read on to know how fever and taking a bath can go together.

How Does Taking a Bath with a Fever Help

Fever is characterized by a surge in body temperature and is often accompanied by chills. It is body's own mechanism of getting rid of excess heat inside the body. Normally, people tend to wrap themselves in warm clothes, with layers of coverings. This is actually a wrong practice and works in opposite to the desired effect. By covering your body in layers of clothing, you prevent the heat from escaping the body. The trapped heat does little to lower the body temperature. As a result, you may continue to remain feverish. On the other hand, when you take a bath, the water actually helps the heat to escape. Within few minutes, you'll notice a steep decline in temperature. However, this may be a temporary phase and you still need to continue with the conventional fever remedies.

Types of Fever Bath Therapies

Lukewarm bath in fever helps you in number of ways, as it relaxes you while lowering your body temperature. You need to choose the fever bath therapy according to your age and your temperature.

Sponge Bath
Sponge bath is particularly effective for babies and young children. Adults with high fever, who cannot bathe on their own may also benefit from sponge bath. For a sponge bath, take some lukewarm or water at a room temperature, in a small tub. Soak a piece of sponge in it and then gently squeeze it to remove excess water. Wipe the body of the person suffering from fever with this sponge. You may add a few drops of essential oils such as lavender or chamomile, so that the person feels fresh. Sponge bath in high fever is quite effective for lowering the temperature quickly.

Bathtub
If you feel energetic enough to bathe yourself, then you may try a bubble bath in a bathtub. Fill the bathtub with warm water and get inside it. Avoid using cold water as it may make you shiver which can increase the body temperature. Relax yourself and spend sometime in the bathtub until the water begins to turn cool. When it does, either refill the tub with more warm water or get outside and dry yourself properly, with a clean towel. You are bound to feel relaxed and in a better state than before. Taking a shower with fever may not be a good idea, as you may feel dizzy and unsteady while standing in a shower.

Taking a bath with a fever is helpful only if you have moderate to low grade fever. If you have fever over 103°F, you should seek medical help to prevent the temperature from rising further. Placing ice packs on forehead and on the back of neck also helps in controlling the fever.