In the U.S. we have the option of taking a drug or medications at the first sign of a symptom to take this symptom away or mask it until it might go away on it’s own. Take a fever, for example. My mother was an RN and we have an ongoing discussion about how to treat a fever. My mom would give a fever reducer at the first sign of fever. My mom saw one of her kids have a febrile seizure which is a seizure induced by a high fever. Each person is unique and may respond differently to a fever, it is important to discuss with your doctor how you should treat a fever.
I on the other hand, I like to let a low fever work on bacteria and viruses. I am not a medical doctor and am not diagnosing or treating any medical condition. I’m just a mom with a lot of kids and have dealt with non-emergency situations in a natural way. I do know a fever is one of the body’s defenses for fighting infection and viruses. This is especially important in children whose immune systems are just developing. I do realize there are differing views on this, and I choose to follow a natural approach to treating a fever. Each time I have a child with a fever, I hesitate to give them an over-the -counter fever reducer as I read through the list of ingredients. For a moment I’m not sure which is worse, the fever raging in their little body or the list of chemicals and artificial colorings and flavorings in the drug. Most recently, one of my daughters had a low fever. My first reaction was a fleeting feeling of panic because this was an unknown. I didn’t know why she had the fever – she did not have other symptoms – and I didn’t know how long this would last. After talking with her pediatrician I was instructed to keep her hydrated, comfortable and rested. If the fever continued for longer than a designated period I should call back. Your doctor may treat things differently, so it is important to know and discuss these things with your pediatrician.
My first line of defense is to look at natural ways to treat a fever such as keeping hydrated with high quality drinks like Ningxia Red, cool compresses under the arms, behind the knees, on the forehead or peppermint essential oil applied to the bottoms of the feet. Peppermint oil is not safe for children under 3 as it is a very strong oil and can cause respiratory distress if not diluted sufficiently. Last spring my daughter (6 1/2) developed a fever. She is petite for her size so I decided to use Lavender instead, also effective for a fever. I applied Young Living lavender essential oil to the bottom of her feet. I also applied lavender lotion to her cheeks which really soothed her. In a half an hour her fever was gone! I repeated this several times over the next few hours until the fever had passed.
If using essential oils to treat a fever, they must be pure therapeutic grade oils with nothing added and nothing removed or you cannot be sure of it’s potency.
The FDA has not evaluated these statements and it is not the intent of Pure Home and Body LLC to practice medicine.
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