When a kid gets sick
@ReverendShaggy (415)
Philippines
August 14, 2011 7:46pm CST
Ok well me and my wife butted heads a little about our boys being sick. Our oldest is running a fever fairly bad. Now I was raised around my family and when we had fevers we were wrapped up in blankets and sweated it out and we always got better with a quickness. That is even how the hospitals in my area would say to treat it. Im originally from Iowa and North Carolina just so people are aware.
I'm in the Philippines now and my wife said they always was with ice bathes and that is what doctors always say to do. I guess my main thing is I just can't see how it can work both extremes and I know for a fact that the blankets and sweating it out works because of experience with it.
Because of that I really have a problem believing that the ice bath and doing that 3 times a day does the same thing. So I figured I would post here and see if any of you have any feelings on this matter.
1 person likes this
5 responses
@Lovetoy38829 (36)
• United States
15 Aug 11
In recent times, the medical community has discovered that prolonged times with a high fever can cause brain damage. I'm pretty sure this is why the 'sweating it out' method has been abandoned lately.
Our pediatrician recommends alternating Children's Motrin with Children's Tylenol every 2 to 4 hours, with a cool cloth on their forehead or on their neck, and plenty of fluids.
@oXAquaXo (607)
• United States
15 Aug 11
Yeah, I'm heard about this, too. The high temperatures can damage brain cells and lower brain activity.
I've only seen our family do the sweating-out thing once, but usually when we're sick, we lay in bed with a cool cloth on our forehead, drinking plenty of orange juice (good source of Vitamin C) and eating hot porridge whenever we're hungry. And we take some Advil every once in a while.
@ReverendShaggy (415)
• Philippines
16 Aug 11
I can see where that might have pushed the sweating method out. and the meds and cloth we have been trying. He is still sick but feeling better. We have done some of all of it so naturally I said my side was working the best LOL just kidding. He is doing better and that is all that matters. Thank you all for the wonderful responses.
@oXAquaXo (607)
• United States
15 Aug 11
There are plenty of different treatments for specific diseases, and most of them work fairly well. I wouldn't be surprised if two treatments were proposed and both of them worked...just like math problems, there are multiple ways to find the answer.
I personally have had experience with this sweating-out thing. My mom was dangerously ill once, and my grandma had her wrap up in a blanket and lie in a heated room for several days, and she got better. I have no idea why, but she did. Maybe it has something to do with the extreme temperature killing the bacteria. So maybe it could work the other way, too: extreme coldness killing the bacteria? All I know is that extreme temperatures can play a part, and I'm certain that both methods can work
I hope your child feels better soon!
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
Wrapping up in a blanket to sweat was the traditional way of relieving fever. My mother used to do that when I was a kid and it was very effective. But later the doctors discovered that it could cause convulsion so they changed the method. They now use the ice bath to relieve fever. But as for me I still use the same traditional method for the little ones and even for any member of the family who has fever.
@celticeagle (161452)
• Boise, Idaho
15 Aug 11
If a fever is really high ice bathes do the trick. I was braught up like you and I recall my daughter's father being sick. I gave him a good wool blanket, he went to bed early and woke up the next morning good as new. Ofcourse your wife is a mother and they tend to coddle and baby sick ones alot if they're good ones.
If a fever lasts awhile it could be an infection so that is something to watch for too. Good luck!
@chicksdigscars (5483)
•
15 Aug 11
i dont know the correct answer.. i've always got wrapped up warm whether i have a cold or a fever haha!
but the saying goes, "feed a cold, starve a fever" and it does relate to food, but i also think it relates to heat.. when you've the cold you wrap up warm, and stuff, feeding it, but when you've a fever you starve it, as in you don't supply it with heat! .. i also read somewhere that eating food, generates body heat internally and externally and the last thing you want to do when you've a fever is get any warmer.. so maybe the whole ice bath thing is actually right?
i would have wrapped him up personally, as i was wrapped up as a child, but maybe that was wrong?
