A respiratory virus has been passed around the home of one of the families I treat. Last night, their 2 & 1/2 year old toddler woke up in the middle of the night with a fever. Over the course of several hours, it went up to 102 degrees. Although 102 degrees is a healthy temperature, his mom was worried and started looking for the children’s acetominophen, only to discover she didn’t have any. Since it was the middle of the night, she gave her son one pellet of the homeopathic remedy I had prescribed for the previous winter when he had a fever. Luckily, it was also the right remedy for his symptom picture last night. Note this is unusual. The effect was dramatic. He fell back asleep and started sweating as his fever broke. His temperature went down over the course of the night and, when he woke up this morning, his temperature was normal and he was as energetic as ever.
Once a fever reaches 104 degrees or higher, a child is in the danger zone and more intense medical intervention may become necessary. Fortunately, it is rare for fevers to get that high. Until that point, the body is killing the virus by heating up and we should support this natural process, not suppress it. Dehydration is the main concern, so encourage plenty of fluids when a loved one has a fever. Of course, getting immediate medical care is necessary for unresponsiveness, febrile seizures or other alarming signs at any body temperature.
In any case, having a naturopathic doctor or homeopathic practitioner (or a doctor that is both, like me) prescribe a homeopathic remedy for any acute illness will likely save you days of suffering. Try homeopathy!
Margaret Philhower, ND
www.drmargaret.org
