How to Treat a Fever?

The reasons for fever may include colds or pneumonia. Women may also experience a rise in body temperature during ovulation. It is important to promptly identify the cause of fever and treat it accordingly. When experiencing fever, it is advisable to drink plenty of warm water, maintain a light diet, and avoid spicy or greasy foods that can easily lead to inflammation. There are many other methods for treating fever as well.

Firstly, one should maintain a gentle, light, and easy-to-digest diet, avoiding cold, greasy, alcoholic, high-protein, overly sweet, and overly salty foods. It is recommended to eat until 70-80% full or temporarily skip a meal or two. Contrary to common belief, many people tend to think that eating "nutritious" foods such as meat, eggs, and dairy products is beneficial when sick. However, these foods are considered "tonics" in nutrition, and fever and colds are often acute conditions that require clearing and releasing. Eating these "nutritious" foods can exacerbate the condition or cause a relapse. A gentle, light, and easy-to-digest diet can help reduce the burden on the spleen and stomach and promote the recovery of digestive function. Additionally, drinking plenty of warm water and urinating frequently can help prevent fever from injuring body fluids and accelerate metabolism and toxin excretion.

Secondly, maintaining bowel regularity is important. The lungs and large intestine are internally-externally related, and maintaining regular bowel movements can facilitate the descent of lung qi and hasten recovery. Follow medical advice for medication.

Thirdly, scraping and cupping, rubbing the back and fingertips can also be helpful. When experiencing a cold, scrape the sides of the spine (bladder meridians) from the top (above the Great Vertebrae) down to the waist. Then, apply cupping (preferably with fire cups, followed by vacuum cups) and leave the cups in place for 15 minutes each time, repeating 2-3 times. This method can be used for all types of colds, whether caused by wind-cold, wind-heat, or internal heat with external cold. It is especially effective for wind-cold colds (characterized by no sweating, body and headache, nasal congestion, and clear nasal discharge). For children under 10 who may not tolerate cupping, gently rubbing the center of the back and fingertips until local warmth or sweating occurs can be helpful.