My daughter had a fever a few weeks ago that reached about 105 degrees. It’s easy for moms to completely flip out at high temperatures, {and I have been there many times}, however after studying the truth about fevers I can normally stay pretty calm these days when they get high. Knowledge helps us handle situations with less fear. Fevers are actually a friend and not the enemy, you just have to know how to treat them so they can assist your child in getting better.
If one of my children has a soaring fever, I like to bring the temperature down naturally so they can rest well but the fever can still do its work. One way I lower fevers naturally is with raw apple cider vinegar {yes the vinegar with 101 amazing uses 🙂 }. This method has been used successfully for ages by those of days gone by.
Raw Apple Cider Vinegar Soaks To Reduce Fevers
- Soak 2 rags in a bowl of raw apple cider vinegar and squeeze them so they are not dripping wet.
- Place one rag on the patient’s tummy and one rag in the forehead.
- Leave the rags on for at least an hour. It takes about an hour for the fever to come down.
It’s that simple!
Yes it stinks! I love to make tinctures and salad dressing with this vinegar, but I’m not too fond of smelling it non-stop for an hour. And most times the last thing children want is cold, smelly rags on their body when they are not feeling well, but this remedy works so well without the harmful effects of Tylenol, that it’s worth that smelly hour. As a parent, it’s necessary to calmly insist that our children allow us to do what is best for them. Don’t you think? 🙂
As I’ve mentioned, it takes about an hour for the fever to reduce. In my experience, this remedy does not normally break the fever completely, only reduces it to a more comfortable level. When fevers are at work, they are assisting the body in stopping the invading substance that is making our child ill. It’s best to let fevers do their work, but sometimes necessary to reduce them to help the patient be more comfortable.
I’ll have to write more on fevers soon, plus other fever remedies. Let me leave you with 4 quick thoughts that are essential when dealing with fevers.
4 Quick Thoughts When Dealing With Fevers
- Keep a close eye on your child day and night when they have a fever. I sleep with my fevering children and check their temperature every time I wake up.
- Keep your child well hydrated. Dehydration can be deadly and can easily happen with fevers. Make sure they drink something every 15 minutes to hourly – depending on how high the fever is. I do not wake them up if they are sleeping well and not suffering from dehydration. If the patient is sick to the stomach and not wanting to drink, giving them a teaspoon of liquid every 15 to 30 minutes is better than nothing. Even if you have to squirt some water in their mouth with a syringe, make sure your patient stays hydrated.
- Always see a doctor if a fever persists for days and the patient is not improving. Never hesitate to get medical help when needed. If you handle fevers well at home, you should not find it necessary to seek other treatment in most cases.
- And let me throw a quick 4th one in here. High fevers in tiny babies can be very serious. I would seek help for high fevers in small infants.
Have you ever used vinegar to reduce fevers? What is your favorite natural fever remedy?
Please remember that I am just a mom that does a lot of reading and researching. I’m not a professional nor licensed to give medical advice. Nothing I say has been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent disease. 😉
“As a parent, it’s necessary to calmly insist that our children allow us to do what is best for them. Don’t you think?”
Yes, I do think so. It’s a parent’s duty to see that what’s best for the child is what’s done. Excellent point in a day when so many in our society take their cues from the children want at the time no matter the consequences.
Agreed, Toni!
Yes while this is true, it’s also good to keep in mind the child. Sometimes what a parent thinks is best might not actually be the best for the child. I know this from my studies in archetypal psychology where one of my nephews was having reoccurring nightmares due to suppressed feelings, as the parents never bothered to ask him about how they felt, thus, they never compromised with him. It’s always good to never force your child to do something just because you as a parent assume it is best. It’s always, always important to remember to ask your child how they feel about something, let them speak their minds and compromise on something if it is not a good option for the child.
No one else knows what is best for you than you. Same with a child. Archetypal psychology has helped me to realize that knowing what is going on in their subconscious minds is nothing to ignore no matter how meaningless it may seem.
I agree that parents should always try to find the source of nightmares and help their children through them.
Oh what a great idea! Want to pin this for future reference….but can’t find a link. 🙁
So sorry, Sabrina! I normally have a Pin It button but sometimes forget for a day or two to add it. It’s there now. Thanks for pinning! 🙂
Great to know! Thanks! We let fevers run their course here too after learning that they are meant to help your body and not be feared. I can usually tell there temperature just by touch since I feel or kiss their heads so much! 🙂 but do have a thermometer for when it gets past 103 or so. Hasn’t happened except once. Thanks for passing on what you’ve learned.
~Amy
Thanks for the comment, Amy! I honestly don’t know why my little girl had a fever so high this time – she never has before. Her only other symptoms were some congestion, which I treated with lung tea and homemade cough syrup. I also administered natural antibiotics, which I always do. Whatever her illness was, she was back to her bubbly self after 48 hours!
I used vinegar soaked socks, once for my LO. Incredibly effective!
Vinegar socks are a great idea!
thanks for the apple cider vinegar post. Will use that as well next time. I usually use vapor rub on the feet and back, or regular vinegar/water on the back and feet
You’re welcome!
Its my first time to use vinegar on my kids forehead.my mom call me if the fever are high put vinegar on her forehead.now im amazed.my little one sleep like no fever.thank u for this.coz when my mom tell me about vinegar i had to search it.thanks god i found this.
So glad it helped!
I never panic over fevers but do try to keep them lowish with lukewarm baths and rags. However, one of my child had a fever induced seizure. That was scary. It wasn’t that her temp was high but that her body is sensitive to fast temp changes meaning a change from 99° to 100° within seconds is enough to cause a seizure. Sadly, motrin has been my go to. I would.love to find something natural that would keep it around the same area throughout the day.
That would be tough to deal with, Robin – for you and your child! 🙁 Peppermint Oil may be an option too. I love using it for fevers. I know those that use lemon in place of the peppermint as well. Wishing you the best!
http://jillshomeremedies.com/2015/05/an-essential-oil-that-reduces-fevers.html
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We have used vinegar my whole life and I use it on my kids even though they despise the smell. It also works great on sunburns.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Shannon!
Just recently, I’ve found that swiping my daughter’s forehead and the bottom of each foot with a vinegar-soaked cotton ball has helped bring down her fever quickly. If she has fevers, I just a bowl of vinegar and cotton balls near the bedside and wipe her down every couple of hours.
Side note: if her fever seems to be coupled with congestion (albeit head or chest), I will roast half an onion for about 20 mins (or until the juices begin to seem out), allow it to cool a bit, then wrap it in a towel and place it on her chest until it is totally cool. A friend told me about this a long time ago and it has helped every time since.
Finally, I want to mention to your readers who may be new to holistic care that home remedies like these can take a little longer to knock out colds, fevers, and the flu than conventional medicine, but it’s a good thing to not become so dependent on conventional medicine at the first sign of illness. 🙂
Great point, Jaime! Natural healing can take longer sometimes because we are dealing with true healing and not just correcting symptoms. Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi, thank u for the article. My question is how young can the baby be to use the apple cider vinegar for fever?
Hi! I would use it for any age. For babies under 6 months I would dilute it a little bit with water before applying.
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Thanks for the tip. I am a single mother of 3 boys and it is so hard to keep up with now especially when they are sick because they are teenagers. I was just searching on why it is not good to use alcohol for reducing fevers and I went into images and I saw your picture of you and your daughter and using vinegar to reduce fevers. Great article and I will be looking forward to more home remedies and tips. Thanks so much.
Thank you, Veleka! Welcome to JHR and I’m so glad you found me! 🙂
Hi my 11 month old is running a fever since before yesterday and its been going up and down. My friend told me about wiping him down with vinegar but someone commented they just wipe some on their forehead and feet. Is that just as effective? (Especially if I’m new to home remedies and not sure about soaked socks on my LOs feet lol)
The forehead, stomach, back of neck, and bottom of feet are all good places to use the vinegar for fevers.
I love this idea, medicine always makes me uncomfortable :/ can you use this for lower fevers too? once my kids get to 102 I start to get worried.
Yes it’s great to use for any temperature! I normally don’t try to lower it unless they are uncomfortable or can’t sleep since fevers are so good for fighting the illness. But you can use it for any temperature according to your discretion. 🙂
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Such great information … does this only work best for children … as I can certainly see an adult using natural as well.
Yes, it’s for adults too!
I have never heard of this before. I have heard of and done ice packs on the certain parts of the body, like the forehead, hands, and even the stomach in some cases. Others that are much older sources talk about sponge bathing with cool water. While others that I have used for my own kids is to place the individual in tepid water. I know for a fact the tepid water method works rather well. It’s just harder to do the older they get and the heavier they are. Simply because at some point moving around on their own is just not something really sick people are all that good at doing. Which makes getting in and out of a bath tub by one’s self virtually impossible to do. And helping someone do it is not exactly easy to do either, especially if they are really unsteady on their feet. This is also not something someone should do on their own anyway, as it is actually easy to drown in small amounts of water and when you’re really sick and fighting high fevers, being in any amount of water alone is not a good idea, so give modesty a hike if you need to give this a try for some reason.
Thanks for giving me some new information to add to my inventory of natural remedies to try at home. Take care and be safe!
You are most welcome! 🙂
I learned this too from my Austrian Oma, (grandma) When we had a fever she would always tell us to get out the vinegar snd old socks. Of course as kids we were less then thrilled, but it always helped. This post brought back sweet memories of my Oma. What a living, caring, patient and wise lady.
I love this! Thank you for sharing your memory. 🙂