How to Reduce a Fever – 9 Easy Things to Do

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Enfasmart. All opinions are 100% mine.

One thing I quickly learned about once I became a mom was the dreaded fever. As a new mom, it was one thing that definitely kicked my stress levels up a notch. Thankfully, I also learned a lot from my mom and other mom friends about how to reduce a fever without always reaching for a fever reducer medicine!

When fever hits, there are a lot of important things you can do and many of them are extremely easy (which is great if you’re anxious about your child’s health), so have no fear!

How to Reduce a Fever the Easy Way

When your child is not feeling well and has a fever, it’s important to remember that treating a fever doesn’t take care of the cause of the fever.

But sometimes a fever isn’t a terrible thing! It can actually help fight off an infection. But none of us want to see our kids feeling uncomfortable and we do have to remember that fever is a sign that something isn’t quite right.

So how do we know if a fever means we need to get it checked out? Never hesitate to reach out to your doctor if you have concerns. That’s what they’re there for!

If your child also has a sore throat or an earache, definitely let your doctor know. If they are complaining of pain while going to the bathroom, that’s a good one to get checked out in case of a urinary tract infection.

Definitely, trust your gut and don’t be afraid to get medical advice. Knowing how to reduce a fever is a great thing for us to have as parents, but trusting when things don’t seem quite right is also a huge thing! Trust yourself!

But if you’re just facing a common cold with a fever, knowing how to reduce fever without having to turn to the medicine cabinet is a great way to feel better prepared as a parent!

How to Reduce a Fever Without Using Medication

Knowing how to reduce a fever without always reaching for medication is a breeze. These nine ideas are super simple and easy to handle, even when you’re dealing with a sick child.

1. Take a bath – Bathing in lukewarm water can help soothe your child and possibly distract them if they feel up to playing in the water at all.
2. Sponge bath – If your child isn’t up to getting in the bathtub, you can give them a sponge bath. Using cool water in areas like the armpits can help cool them off.
3. Use a cool, damp washcloth – Place a cool cloth on your child’s forehead and the back of the neck.
4. Turn on a fan – Using a fan can help circulate the air in the room. We usually turn our ceiling fans on the lowest setting.
5. Stay hydrated – Encourage your child to drink plenty of water. Ice pops and Jell-O are great ways to get extra fluids into kids when they’re not feeling great. My kids also like ice chips.
6. Go frozen – An alternative to plain ice chips is frozen fruit. Fruit like cold grapes, berries, and melon can help your child stay hydrated and be a soothing snack.
7. Use layers – put your child in lightweight clothing that can help keep her cool. If they get cold, a blanket works great for adding layers as needed.
8. Back rub or massage – This doesn’t help reduce fever but it can help ease muscles that might be feeling achy and making your children uncomfortable.
9. Keep the house cool – Keeping the overall temperature in the house cool and comfortable is another way to help them feel better.

When to Treat a Fever

If your child has a mild fever without other symptoms that have you worried, you can probably handle it with some of the ways that don’t involve medication.

Fever is actually an okay thing and is a natural part of some causes. But it’s so important to pay attention to all of the symptoms too.

If your child has a fever caused by a bacterial infection, like ones that cause strep throat or ear infections, they may need antibiotics.

If it’s caused by a viral infection like a cold, flu, or chicken pox, then antibiotics won’t be helpful. If you have any concerns, be sure to reach out to your doctor!

I think the Enfasmart FeverSense is the best thermometer for kids and a great tool to have in your medicine cabinet! They also offer some wonderful resources on their website to help you learn more about when to worry about a fever and other important facts about fevers.

Visit the FeverSense website to learn more about the thermometer (that offers continual monitoring) and how to treat a fever!

As parents, another thing we can do is know what’s normal when it comes to our children’s temperature. You can find more information on the Enfasmart FeverSense website.

Normal temperature ranges for the axillary (underarm) temperature that FeverSense measures are:

• 3 months – 2 years: 94.5°F – 99.1°F
• 3 – 10 years: 96.6°F – 98.0°F
• 11 – 65 years: 95.3°F – 98.4°F
• Over 65 years: 96.0°F – 97.4°F

Using the free FeverSense app and your smartphone, you can continuously monitor your child’s fever for up to seven days. It allows you to track trends and get real-time alerts so you can make the best decisions for your child.

So don’t let fever take control of your emotions the next time your child heats up. We’ve got so many easy ways to help our kids feel more comfortable that fever doesn’t stand a chance!

Learn more at Enfasmart.com.