Homeopathy and Fever

By Caroline S Walrad, Ph.D., CN

A fever can be a very helpful factor and an important healing stage of an acute disease. When afflicted by a cold or other acute childhood illness, a fever is not a disease itself, but a symptom. It can be a friend to the body and should be encouraged and not suppressed. The body raises its temperature in order to fight infection when the immune system is in the process of responding to foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses. Ancient physicians, such as Hippocrates and Celsus, considered fever a means by which the body "cooks," separates and eventually eliminates disease. 'Normal' temperature is not necessarily 98.6 degrees, and can vary between 96.8 degrees and 99.4 degrees F. Chills often develop before or accompany fever, and sweats occur when the fever is going down or 'breaking'. There does not have to be an infection for the body to produce fever.

Homeopathy, when administered for a fever, is most helpful when other symptoms accompany the fever. It is a 'totality' of symptoms from which the best homeopathic remedy is selected. When someone has a fever and a sore throat or earache or body aches, then the best remedy can be selected. If one finds a remedy based on an initial fever alone, then the bodies own healing process can be interrupted. Wait until the whole picture of symptoms emerges before selecting a homeopathic remedy.

There are a number of homeopathic remedies listed below that help acute illnesses, including the fever. Wonderful books are available on acute illness and homeopathic selection. I like to use www.minimum.com and www.homeopathic.com to purchase books. It is helpful to have one book on hand, along with acute remedies from a local health store when acute illnesses arise. It may save a trip to a medical doctor and antibiotics. If you are ever unsure, always contact your doctor immediately.

There are some guidelines when a child has a fever. The younger the child, the more help should be sought, especially if they are under six months old. If a child older than six months reaches 103 degree fever, it is best to call a medical doctor or seek other qualified help. It is important for those with a fever to drink water because a typical problem is dehydration. Sometimes bringing the fever down is a worthwhile goal in itself. If the temperature climbs to 103.5+ degrees for more than an hour or if at any time it climbs above 105 degrees, it is best to seek outside help and lower the fever. Always seek medical help with high fevers for babies younger than two. Please seek immediate medical attention if a child is lifeless and lacking any reaction to you.

Many children may not want to eat during a fever. This is normal as the body will detoxify earlier if in a state of fasting. If the child is hungry, feed him easily digestible foods such as liquids, soups, juices, yogurt and fresh fruit. A proper PH balance that helps the immune fight comes from fruits, vegetables and easily digested protein. This is not the time to give deep fried foods, meat, sweets or junk food, such as chips, soda or ice cream. And, again, please try to have the child drink lots of filtered water.

Watch the state of dress and the weather during a fever. Too warmly dressed or too scantily dressed children for the temperature can be detrimental. Sponging down a child can be beneficial if the fever is high. Do not undress the baby/child completely. Rather take one limb at a time from clothing and redress. Use luke-warm water, never cold water. Slow sponging the limbs as mentioned above, the forehead and feet and hands may be helpful. If a child has a low fever and not severely ill, then a bath may just the right choice if he is not chilled.

Below are remedies for fever. Based on the circumstances of the illness we must ask questions about the fever in order to select a remedy. Such questions are:

• What is the person's temperature?
• Is the person flushed or pale?
• Is the pulse rapid?
• Is the person sweating?
• Are chills present?
• Is there pain? Where?
• Did the fever come on suddenly or quickly?
• What makes the fever better or worse?
• What time of day does the fever peak and subsides?
• What are the other symptoms the person is experiencing?  Such as: Dizziness, paleness, red hot cheeks, dilated pupils, can't move, sensitivity to cold or hot, craving hot or cold drinks.

What is the dosage?
Remedies, according to Dr Asa Hershoff in his book Homeopathic Remedies, should be taken every half hour or hourly in the 6, 12, or 30C potency, reducing the frequency with improvement. According to Drs. Reichenberg-Ullman in their book Homeopathic Self-Care, if there is no improvement after four hours, give a different remedy. After you first notice improvement, give another dose only if symptoms begin to return. If you have a higher potency (200 x or c or 1M), then give only once. (Higher potencies are not available over the counter).

What to expect:
Homeopathic remedies work with the whole person, not just a fever. According to Drs. Reichenberg-Ullman when the fever is the primary symptom, particularly at the beginning of an illness, these medicines will often cure the illness that is the source of the fever in twelve to forty-eight hours.

A FEW REMEDIES FOR FEVER
For a more comprehensive list, please see the bibliography.
WARNING: If symptoms persist, discontinue use of the below remedies and consult your physician.

Aconite or Aconitum napellus
Fever comes on suddenly. May come on from a cold north wind, drafts, shock, and fright.

The nose is stuffed up, buring hot, dry with no discharge.

Anxiety, excess fever, paleness and dizziness when sitting up in bed, fever with sweating, burning thirst for cold water. Restless.

Bellandona
Fevers come on suddenly and violently.

Bright red flushed face, high fever and throbbing headache. No sweat, Very red, very sore throat and often right-sided

Sensitive to light, noise and being jarred. May have dilated pupils.

Ferrum Phosphoricum
Commonly used at the first stages of a fever or acute illness if there are no other differentiating symptoms.

State is less intense than belladonna or aconite.

Right sided problems, not restless or fearful or delirious, Flushed cheeks or nosebleeds.

Nux Vomica
Great chilliness, worse from uncovering or from moving the blankets

May be from overwork, loss of sleep

Irritability


Bryonia
When a person does not want to move

Fever comes on gradually. Sour sweats.

Thirst for large quantities of water. Dizziness, Headache, Dry cough, Fever worse around 9 PM.


Pulsatilla
Weepy and clinging mood, craving for affection, changeable moods, changeable fever, worse in a warm room or when warmly dressed.

Little thirst.

BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR HOMEOPATHY and FEVER ARTICLE
By Caroline Walrad, Ph.D.

Cummings, Stephen M.D., and Ullman, Dana, MPH, Everybody's Guide to Homeopathic Medicines, Tarcher Penguin, New York, 2004, pages 54-55.

Hershoff, Asa, ND, Homeopathic Remedies, Avery Publishing Group, New York, 2000, pages 162-163.

Ullman, Robert, ND and Reichenberg-Ullman, Judyth, ND, Homeopathic Self-Care, Prima Publishing, California, 2002, pages 165-168.

Horvilleur, Alain, M.D., The Family Guide to Homeopathy, Health and Homeopathy Publishing Inc., Virginia, 1986, pages98-99.