fever

Healing Wonders of Herbs

Guide to the Effective Use of Medicinal Plants

By Herminia de Guzman-Ladion,
R.N., A.R.P.T., P.T.R.P.

fever    

    A fever occurs when there is an elevation of the body temperature.

Water Treatments
    1. Fever sponge bath. Give hot water sponge bath if the
        patient has high fever and his arms and legs are cold. Give cold water
        sponge bath if the skin is dry and hot. Give warm water
        sponge bath if there is fever with a generalized hot skin. Give a fever
        sponge bath three times a day, or more, if needed.

    2. Bed rest with continuous cold compress on the forehead.
    3. Hot foot bath. If the fever is due to head congestion and flu,
        give a hot foot bath in the morning and in the evening, after supper.
    4. Drink one glass of water or juice every hour during waking hours.

Herbal Medications for Fever Due to Viral Infections
    1. Vinegar
        * Put 2 tablespoons of vinegar in a basin of cold water.
        - Use this for making vinegar compress on
          the forehead if ice is not available.

    2. Balimbing leaves
        * Boil 2 cups of chopped leaves in 1/2 gallon of water
          for 10 minutes. Strain. Cool for 2 hours.
        - Use this in making a cold compress if ice water is not available.

    3. Kamias leaves
        * Boil 3 cups of chopped fresh leaves in one gallon 
          of water for 15 minutes. Strain.
        - Use this decoction for cold or hot sponge bath.

Internal Medications
    Use one of the following herbal medications to help lower the fever.

    1. Tagulinaw plant
        * Boil 1 cup of chopped fresh leaves with the whole
          plant in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes.
        - Dosage:
          Adults: 1 cup, every 4 hours
          Children: (Babies) 1 tbp., every 4 hours
                   (2-6 yrs.) 1/4 cup, every 4 hours
                (7-12 yrs.) 1/2 cup, every 4 hours

    2. Okra seeds
        * Roast dried seeds and grind or pound fine.
           Boil 1/2 cup of the ground seeds in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes.
          Cool and strain.
        - Dosage:
          Adults: 1 cup, 3 times a day, every after meals
          Children: (Babies) 1 tbp., 3 times a day, every after meals
                (2-6 yrs.) 1/4 cup, 3 times a day, every after meals
                  (7-12 yrs.) 1/2 cup, 3 times a day every after meals

    3. Lagundi leaves
        * Boil 4 tablespoons of chopped dried leaves or
          6 tablespoons of fresh chopped leaves in 2 glasses of 
           water for 15 minutes.
        - Dosage:
          Adults: 1 cup, every 4 hours
          Children: (Babies) 1 tbp., every 4 hours
                    (7-12 yrs.) 1/2 cup, every 4 hours