Three-Day Fever (Exanthema Subitum): Therapy

Babies with fever generally belong to the pediatrician. Older children should be presented to a physician in the following cases:

  • The fever rises above 38.5 °C.
  • The child refuses to drink, loses fluid and becomes dehydrated.
  • The child is well, but vomiting lasts longer than twelve hours (if the child is not well, earlier to the doctor!).
  • The child is well, but diarrhea lasts longer than two days (if the child is not well, earlier to the doctor!).
  • The child has severe abdominal pain or cramps.
  • The pain is getting worse despite treatment.
  • The child convulses.
  • The child has a skin rash or shows symptoms of ear pain or breathing difficulties.

General measures

  • Observance of the general hygiene measures!
  • Bed rest and physical rest (even with only a low fever).
  • Fever below 38.5 °C does not necessarily need to be treated! (Exceptions: Children prone to febrile convulsions; old, weakened people; patients with a weakened immune system).
  • Do not wrap children (especially infants) too warm, so that it does not come to a heat buildup.
  • Calf wraps can help lower the temperature, which often leads to an improvement in the condition.
    • Principle: The calf wrap leads to the withdrawal of heat energy in the form of evaporative cooling. The moisture from the wraps is evaporated by body heat, thus extracting heat from the body. As a result, fever from 39 °C can be lowered by 1 to a maximum of 1.5 °C within 60-90 minutes. A more rapid reduction puts too much strain on the circulation. When the body temperature is lowered by one degree, the application is terminated.
    • Procedure: Two cotton towels (eg towels) soak well in lukewarm water and do not wring out too much. If one uses room-warm (22 degrees) or even up to 30 degrees warm water (it is quite enough if the temperature difference is ten degrees), one avoids moreover the unnecessary frightening of the patient / child.
    • Then wrap the wet cloths around the lower legs. When wrapping always both calves are wrapped separately. The cloths should reach from the ankles to just below the knees. The so wrapped legs to avoid soaking the bed on an absorbent or waterproof pad.
    • Duration of application: the calf wraps are left for a maximum of 20-30 minutes (for children: renew wraps every 5 to 15 minutes) until the fever is reduced by one to two degrees. In this case, the legs are covered in any case.

    Attention!Calf wraps are useful only when the legs and also the rest of the body are warm. In cold limbs, they should not be used in any case.

  • After the fever still a fever-free day of rest, if necessary, even longer (mainly bed rest and stay indoors).

Conventional non-surgical therapy methods

Regular checkups

  • Regular medical check-ups in case of very high fever (> 39 °C) or severe feeling of illness.

Nutritional medicine

  • Adherence to the following specific nutritional recommendations during illness:
    • Sufficient fluid intake! Since during the course of a febrile illness there is a strong loss of fluids, fluid intake in adults with kidney and heart health should be according to the following rule of thumb: for each degree of body temperature above 37 °C, an additional 0.5-1 liters per °C. Teas are best suited.
    • In febrile illnesses, a light full diet is recommended. Within the framework of this diet, the following foods and preparation methods should be avoided, as experience has shown that they often cause discomfort:
      • Voluminous and fatty meals
      • Legumes and vegetables such as white cabbage, kale, peppers, sauerkraut, leeks, onions, savoy cabbage, mushrooms.
      • Raw stone and pome fruit
      • Fresh bread, wholemeal bread
      • Hard boiled eggs
      • Carbonated drinks
      • Fried, breaded, smoked, very spicy or very sweet foods.
      • Too cold or too hot food
    • Diet rich in:
      • Vitamins (vitamin C) – Due to the fever may be deficient in vitamin C.In addition, vitamin C is important for the immune system. Foods rich in vitamin C are vegetables such as spinach and fruits (oranges, strawberries, kiwis, currants), which are also well tolerated during an infection.
  • After recovery, if necessary, nutritional counseling based on nutritional analysis.
    • Selection of appropriate food based on the nutritional analysis
  • See also under “Therapy with micronutrients (vital substances)” – if necessary, taking a suitable dietary supplement.
  • Detailed information on nutritional medicine you will receive from us.