The I in illness is isolation,
and the crucial letters in wellness are we.
Author unknown
Home January’s Challenge: BE TIDY
Today is the day to tackle that overflowing First Aid box. I have actually tidied it several times over the past year, but sadly, my family are not trained to leave things in a tidy condition, even if that is how they found something - and they leave paracetamol not in its labeled cardboard box and inside its labeled zip lock plastic bag! It is too late to train them now.
When my friend, Nicky, had her children at home, I surprisingly noted how tidy they were, seemingly always putting away things after they used them, without her even asking! But that was not the way in my family, and to this day, I still put away someone else's butter, jam, sea-salt-grinder etc. and paracetamol. Never mind, so long as I don't get cranky when I tidy up after them.
So it is off to the First Aid Box.
When my friend, Nicky, had her children at home, I surprisingly noted how tidy they were, seemingly always putting away things after they used them, without her even asking! But that was not the way in my family, and to this day, I still put away someone else's butter, jam, sea-salt-grinder etc. and paracetamol. Never mind, so long as I don't get cranky when I tidy up after them.
So it is off to the First Aid Box.
Garden Plus Do you have a fever?
Having raised a few children, I am trying to "think back" in relation to what I did when any of them had a fever. Probably I let them ride it out, which according to current research, was a good thing. They weren't given any asprin for fever (most definitely a no-no for any child, but I didn't know that then!) and the children weren't given paracatemol in those days, as I probably thought it was only for adults who had a headache, such was my lack of knowledge!
But I do remember two occasions of fever, and I think that when a child is really sick, that a parent's instinct and observation tell them. On one occasion, I pushed my baby in his Steelcraft pram the one hour journey to a doctor, who instantly gave him an injection in his backside. On the other occasion, I stayed up all night with a toddler, waiting for 9 am when the doctor's surgery opened. I had not realised that the toddler should have been taken to the hospital many hours earlier and that her fever needed urgent medical attention. Now I do not hesitate to seek medical advice for a sick child.
TREATING A FEVER NATURALLY by Dherbs
Medically speaking, a fever is elevation of body temperature. The natural human body temperature is 98.6 degrees. A body temperature over 100.4 is considered pathological.
Most fevers bring with them a natural fasting period, which is why the appetite usually disappears when a fever is on the scene.
Metaphysically speaking, a fever denotes anger. Anger causes heat and heat is present during a fever; this is why the body temperature rises.
Natural Healing Solutions
Cool baths are ideal when fever is present. Always bathe in cool to lukewarm water. Add a box of sea salt as sea salt helps to dissolve negative energy (which is rele
You can add essential oils of Peppermint and/or Ginger to the bath to facilitate the fever. Whole Ginger root or tea bags of Ginger root can also be added to the bath. Ginger is the best thing you can use to facilitate a fever.
You can also take a warm to hot bath as well, which will expedite the breaking of a fever due to the heat involved. It's still a good idea to add Ginger root to the bath.
An ice pack or cold towel can be applied to the head during a fever.
Good herbs to take (in tea form) include:
Should you wear a lot of thick clothing to bed so as to help induce heat so as to break the fever? Answer: you can if you choose to. Or, you can let it break on its own. It's really up to you as all methods help. Whether you naturally cool the body down or warm it up, you are working with the fever and not against it.
Breaking a fever with medication can set you up for having the fever come back at another time. It's better to ride it out, let the fever do the work of healing.
http://dherbs.com/articles/fever.html
NOTE FROM ROBYN:
TO FOLLOW THE ABOVE PROCEDURE FOR MY TODDLER WITH THE FEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN TOTALLY WRONG, AS SHE NEEDED MEDICAL TREATMENT AND A DOUBLE DOSE OF ANTIBIOTICS TO TREAT THE POISON THAT HAD ENTERED HER BODY FROM EITHER AN UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT OR SPIDER BITE.
Having raised a few children, I am trying to "think back" in relation to what I did when any of them had a fever. Probably I let them ride it out, which according to current research, was a good thing. They weren't given any asprin for fever (most definitely a no-no for any child, but I didn't know that then!) and the children weren't given paracatemol in those days, as I probably thought it was only for adults who had a headache, such was my lack of knowledge!
But I do remember two occasions of fever, and I think that when a child is really sick, that a parent's instinct and observation tell them. On one occasion, I pushed my baby in his Steelcraft pram the one hour journey to a doctor, who instantly gave him an injection in his backside. On the other occasion, I stayed up all night with a toddler, waiting for 9 am when the doctor's surgery opened. I had not realised that the toddler should have been taken to the hospital many hours earlier and that her fever needed urgent medical attention. Now I do not hesitate to seek medical advice for a sick child.
FEVER by Raising Children Network
Your child’s average body temperature is about 37°C. If your child’s temperature is higher than 38°C for 24 hours or more, she probably has a fever. A fever is a sign of illness.
Causes
Fever is not an illness in itself, but is the sign of an illness. Children get fevers for all kinds of reasons. Most fevers, and the illnesses that cause them, last only a few days. But sometimes a fever will last much longer, and might be the sign of an underlying chronic or long-term illness or disease.
Infections are by far the most common cause of fever in children. Most of these are caused by viruses, which are responsible for colds, upper respiratory infections, and the common infectious diseases of childhood, such as chickenpox. These infections don’t last long and usually don’t need to be treated.
In general, fever is nature’s response to infection, and can actually help the body fight infection.
Some infections are caused by bacteria, and need treatment with antibiotics. These include certain ear and throat infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, blood infections and meningitis. For example, a very sore throat with a fever can be caused by streptococcus. If it isn’t treated with antibiotics, this infection can lead to rheumatic fever or heart damage.
There are other, relatively uncommon, causes of fever. These include allergic reactions to drugs or vaccines, chronic joint inflammation, some tumours and gastrointestinal diseases.
Symptoms
During the course of each day, body temperature goes up and down by a degree or two. It’s usually lowest in the early hours of the morning, and highest in the late afternoon and early evening.
A fever might come on slowly and rise over a few days, or it might rise very quickly. The height of a fever, and how quickly it comes on, usually doesn’t have anything to do with the illness that causes it.
Fever in itself is rarely harmful. But the high temperature might make your child feel uncomfortable – he might have chills or shivering when his temperature is rising, and might sweat when it’s falling. Sometimes he might become mildlydehydrated if he’s losing a lot of fluid from the fever and not replacing it.
Febrile convulsions are seizures that happen because of fever. They occur in about 4% of children between the ages of six months and five years. Children outgrow febrile convulsions by the age of 4-5 years. Febrile convulsions have no long-term consequences, but talk to your doctor about them.
Sometimes your child might appear flushed, and her skin might feel warm, but her core (inner body) temperature will be quite normal. This can happen when your child has a cold or has engaged in vigorous pyysical exercise. It can also happen on a very hot day.
Sometimes your child might appear flushed, and her skin might feel warm, but her core (inner body) temperature will be quite normal. This can happen when your child has a cold or has engaged in vigorous pyysical exercise. It can also happen on a very hot day.
When to see your doctor
Seek medical attention if your child:
- looks sicker than before (more pale, lethargic and weak)
- has trouble breathing
- becomes drowsy
- refuses to drink, and is weeing less often (if your baby has fewer than half the usual number of wet nappies, see a doctor)
- complains of a stiff neck, persistent headache or light hurting his eyes
- vomits persistently, or has frequent bouts of diarrhoea
- doesn’t improve in 48 hours
- is aged less than 12 months and has a fever
- suffers pain
- has a fever above 40°C
- is causing you to worry for any other reason.
Treatment
A fever will run its course regardless of treatment. Fever is one of the ways the body fights infection. Your child’s temperature will return to normal when the infection or other cause of the fever has completely gone.
In children under 12 months, fever might be a sign of a more significant illness, and you do need to seek medical advice.
Babies under three months of age who develop a fever must be seen by a doctor immediately, because it’s harder to tell if they have a serious underlying illness.
In older children, treat the fever only if you feel it’s making your child uncomfortable, irritable or so lethargic she’s not drinking enough fluids.
Generally, children handle fever well. If your child has a fever, here are some ways that you can make him more comfortable:
- Dress him in light clothing.
- Give him small quantities of clear fluids such as water, weak tea or diluted soda water, lemonade or juice to drink. (Lemonade and juice are too strong for a child with gastroenteritis with diarrhoea – they must be diluted.) Do this often. If your child isn’t hungry, that’s OK. The most important thing is to make sure he’s drinking enough to avoid dehydration.
- Give liquid paracetamol in the correct and recommended dose, with no more than five or six doses every 24 hours. Exceeding the recommended dose can cause liver damage. It’s important not to give fever-lowering medication too often or for prolonged periods, because it can cause side-effects.
Cool baths, sponging and fans can actually make your child more uncomfortable.
Never give a child aspirin for any reason. Aspirin can make a child susceptible to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal illness. It can also cause serious illness or even death in children with chicken pox or flu symptoms.
Never give a child aspirin for any reason. Aspirin can make a child susceptible to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal illness. It can also cause serious illness or even death in children with chicken pox or flu symptoms.
You might want to take your child’s temperature if your child is:
- unwell and feels warmer than usual
- irritable and crying
- more sleepy than usual
- in pain
- refusing to drink, or vomiting.
Using a thermometer is the best way to check your child’s temperature. Feeling your child’s skin temperature (for example, by putting your hand to her forehead) isn’t always a reliable way of diagnosing a fever. Your local doctor, maternal and child health nurse nurse can show you how to take temperature with a thermometer.
TREATING A FEVER NATURALLY by Dherbs
Contrary to what you may believe based upon what you may have been told-a fever is not sickness, but healing. A fever is the body's attempt to heal itself using heat for purposes of elimination via perspiration.
Medically speaking, a fever is elevation of body temperature. The natural human body temperature is 98.6 degrees. A body temperature over 100.4 is considered pathological.
Most fevers bring with them a natural fasting period, which is why the appetite usually disappears when a fever is on the scene.
Metaphysically speaking, a fever denotes anger. Anger causes heat and heat is present during a fever; this is why the body temperature rises.
Natural Healing Solutions
Cool baths are ideal when fever is present. Always bathe in cool to lukewarm water. Add a box of sea salt as sea salt helps to dissolve negative energy (which is rele
You can add essential oils of Peppermint and/or Ginger to the bath to facilitate the fever. Whole Ginger root or tea bags of Ginger root can also be added to the bath. Ginger is the best thing you can use to facilitate a fever.
You can also take a warm to hot bath as well, which will expedite the breaking of a fever due to the heat involved. It's still a good idea to add Ginger root to the bath.
An ice pack or cold towel can be applied to the head during a fever.
Good herbs to take (in tea form) include:
- Ginger root
- Cayenne
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
Should you wear a lot of thick clothing to bed so as to help induce heat so as to break the fever? Answer: you can if you choose to. Or, you can let it break on its own. It's really up to you as all methods help. Whether you naturally cool the body down or warm it up, you are working with the fever and not against it.
Breaking a fever with medication can set you up for having the fever come back at another time. It's better to ride it out, let the fever do the work of healing.
http://dherbs.com/articles/fever.html
NOTE FROM ROBYN:
TO FOLLOW THE ABOVE PROCEDURE FOR MY TODDLER WITH THE FEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN TOTALLY WRONG, AS SHE NEEDED MEDICAL TREATMENT AND A DOUBLE DOSE OF ANTIBIOTICS TO TREAT THE POISON THAT HAD ENTERED HER BODY FROM EITHER AN UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT OR SPIDER BITE.
One of the best herbs for fever: Yarrow
Have you ever wondered if would be possible to take your family’s health care into your own hands?
What would it be like if healing yourself and your family was as easy as picking plants right around your house and using them to help keep you healthy?
Well, over the past several years, my husband John and I have been doing just that. We’ve been building our herbal knowledge one experience at a time. As our relationship with the green world grows, we find we rarely visit doctors. It’s been an empowering and inspiring journey, and I am absolutely delighted by this opportunity to share some if it with you, and help you to build your own family herbal medicine chest.
This month, I will introduce you to one of my very good friends and allies: Yarrow. It's one of the best herbs for fevers.
Yarrow, Achillea millefolium, plant grows in fields, on the edges of woods, and along the roadsides. It is a very fine garden herb, easy to start from seed. Yarrow has lacey, fern-like leaves and white to pink aromatic flowers with gold centers that shimmer in the moonlight.
I became good friends with yarrow when my daughter Hailey was just 5 weeks old and had a very high fever. The first day of the fever I called my naturopath. She was tempted to send us to the hospital because Hailey was so young and the fever so high. However, she knew if she did, they would do a spinal tap, and wanted to avoid such invasive measures if possible. Hailey was still nursing well and we chose to wait to see if the fever would break.
When the fever was still present the next day, we took her into the doctor’s office. Hailey was lethargic and very hot, but also nursing well. Our doctor sent us home advising a bath in yarrow tea.
We hadn’t thought of administering medicine through bathwater, but it worked brilliantly. We took her home and started a yarrow infusion right away, putting one ounce of the dried herb into a quart jar and covering it with boiling water. Four hours later we strained it into her infant bath and added water to make it tepid.
We bathed Hailey, and then soaked two pairs of her socks in 1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar diluted with a cup of water. One pair we put on her feet. The other pair we wrapped around her wrists at her pulse points. By nightfall, her fever had broken, and we slept, relieved and peaceful, through the night.
This routine has served us well with other high fevers, bringing them down by at least a degree within a few minutes. For older “patients” sipping the yarrow infusion or using a cloth the bathe their hands and feet works just as well. Yarrow opens our pores and encourages our body to sweat the fever out. This is why we feel this is one of the best herbs for fever.
Another wonderful way to get to know yarrow is for help with healing wounds. Once when we were visiting friends on Camano Island, John cut his foot pretty badly on some sharp rocks while wading in the sound.
He sent our four-year-old son Rowan to search for some yarrow. John crushed up the leaves and put them right on the cut. The bleeding stopped within minutes and the wound healed beautifully.
Not only will yarrow speed blood clotting. Yarrow helps relieve pain, disinfects wounds, promotes tissue repair, and reduces inflammation. Fresh yarrow leaves are best for wound healing, but you can put dried, powdered leaves right on the cut or make a compress, soaking a cloth in yarrow tea and laying it on the wound.
So, are you interested in having one of the best herbs for fever on your own medicine shelf?
Well, yarrow will be blooming all summer long. Gather the leaves and flowers by cutting the entire stem half way down. Harvest after the flowers are open and when they are still vibrant looking. Tie them by their stems in small bunches and hang them out of direct sunlight. When fully dry, garble them, and store in a mason jar.
As you build your own relationship with yarrow, one experience at a time, I know you will discover a multitude of other ways it can help you, and you’ll be glad you harvested this summer.
A NOTE FROM ROBYN:
WHILE WE CAN READ ABOUT HERBAL CURES, AND EXPERIMENT WITH THEM, IT IS STILL OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO SEEK TRADITIONAL MEDICAL TREATMENT. RECENTLY A FAMILY MEMBER HAD UNFORTUNATELY CONTRACTED THE HORRIFIC FLESH-EATING DISEASE, WHICH NEEDS TO BE ATTENDED TO BY MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS asap SO THAT THE PERSON'S LIFE MAY BE SAVED WITHOUT TOO MUCH FLESH HAVING TO BE REMOVED, AS CUTTING OUT THE FLESH OR AMPUTATION IS THE ONLY OPTION, ALONG WITH ANTIBIOTICS. OUR FAMILY MEMBER SURVIVED WITH MUCH REMOVAL OF FLESH, AND IS PROGRESSING WELL.
May we each find speedy healing
when we are ill.
May we each find speedy healing
when we are ill.
from Robyn
Robin in a flowering gum
Painted by Brenda, Robyn’s mum