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Fear of Fevers

Children's health issues image.

Your child wakes up in the middle of the night crying. You rush into her room and pick her up to soothe her. You start to panic because she literally appears to be on fire with fever. How serious is this and what should you do?

Many parents needlessly worry about their children’s fevers. What few know is that a fever is the body’s natural response to an infection. A fever in and of itself is not a disease; it’s the body’s natural way to respond to certain illnesses. A fever lets the immune system know to produce antibodies to fight the infection. Interfering with this process may actually prevent the immune system from doing its job.

Many parents, fearful that a fever can cause seizures, brain damage or worse, over-medicate their children with ibuprofen and similar medications. Seizures are rare in fevers less than 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius).

What can a parent do for a child with a fever?

  • Give your child plenty of fluids to keep him/her from becoming dehydrated. Dehydration can raise the fever even higher. Check to make sure your baby has at least 8-10 wet diapers per day or that your older child goes to the bathroom at least every four hours.

  • If the child is also nauseous, make sure you give the child sips through a dropper.

  • Don’t force-feed the child, or make him/her eat when they are not hungry.

  • Dress, or undress, your child to keep them comfortable.

Keep in mind that the body is self-regulating. Fevers really do serve a purpose – to keep those “bugs” at bay!

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Dr. Jeff Asks some important questions of interest to Dubuque residents - Chiropractor Dubuque Dr. Jeff Asks...

Can someone who has had back surgery receive chiropractic care?
Yes. Rest assured that we will avoid the surgically modified areas of your spine. However, what we find is that surgical interventions will often produce spinal instability above or below the involved level. This is will be the focus of your chiropractic care.
How do you know when you're healthy?
Ask most Dubuque residents this simple question and you're likely to hear, "When you feel good" or "When you're at your proper weight for your height" or "When you have lots of energy and vitality." Great answers. But our chiropractic patients know that true health is when your body is working as it was designed. True health is how you function, not how you feel.