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Cool Down With These Essential Oils For Fever

Feeling hot? Tired? Drained? Unfortunately you might have a fever.

Any body temperature higher than 38°C or 99.5°F is considered feverish, since your normal body temperature should be 37°C or 96.6°F. Your high temperature is often accompanied with chills, sweating, congestion, cold and clamminess.

The best way to treat a fever is by reducing the body temperature and not letting it increase. This is why doctors may prescribe analgesics and blood thinners to help reduce the fever and make you feel cooler.

But instead of having to make a trip to your doctors when you’re already feeling down, you can use essential oils as an effective alternative natural remedy.

Because many of them serve both as analgesics and blood thinners, they are relaxing and can treat several fever symptoms. Some oils even can provide relief instantly, like menthol, which cools down your warm skin.

Essential Oils For Fever

  1. Eucalyptus oil

Eucalyptus is a cooling, and is one of the reasons why it’s called the ‘fever oil’. Its vasodilator properties help improve blood pressure by widening blood vessels. This lets more blood pass through around the body and lowers your heart rate.

Precaution– Aspirin and ibuprofen are analgesics, and vasodilators, usually prescribed for treating fever. So be careful if using them with eucalyptus oil because too many blood thinners can get dangerous.

  1. Lavender oil

Lavender is a relaxing oil that induces a feeling of calmness. It helps reduce blood pressure and makes it easier for you to get the sleep you need to recover.

Application: For best results, mix lavender oil with eucalyptus oil and apply to the forehead.

  1. Chamomile oil

Chamomile oil helps by encouraging sweating when applied to the skin. Your body heat absorbs the sweat which evaporates and cools you down.

Recommended Use: This is why chamomile oil is perfect for sponging a child with a fever or adding to your already warm bath.

  1. Lemongrass oil

Lemongrass is one of the best oils for fever, with its anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties.

How to use: Adding a few drops to your bath helps reduce the joint and muscular pain you get with your fever with its analgesic properties.

Using essential oils on babies and children

Keep in mind that when using essential oils for fever in babies, you’ll want to dilute before applying.

  • Mix it in the ratio of 6 drops of the oil to an ounce of carrier oil like coconut or olive oil and then apply.
    • Make sure the child does not touch the areas with the oil because they may end up rubbing their eyes with the same hands.

Essential oil blends

  • For children 

A great essential oil fever reducer blend for children involves mixing 3 drops each of lavender and lemon oils with an ounce of a carrier oil in a small dish.

Direction: Then apply to the child’s spine and bottom of the feet.

  • For adults

In case of adults and children aged more than 10, you can combine 2 drops each of peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils with a teaspoon of carrier oil.

Application: to the forehead, tips of ears, back of neck and bottoms of feet every fifteen minutes till the fever reduces.

Precaution: Do not use eucalyptus oil in children under 10 or peppermint oil in children under 6 years of age.

Additional tips

  • Drink lots of water because your body needs water to regulate the body temperature. As dehydration is the biggest risk of fever, keep a glass of water handy all the time.
  • Do not wear woolly or clawing clothes and make sure there is lots of air in the room. Applying cold sponges to the head is not advised because your body may not be able to tolerate the sudden cold. Applying oil like eucalyptus oil is instead a better idea.
  • Make sure you rest because your body needs it to recover.
  • Though it is okay to treat the mild symptoms of fever, you should know when to call a doctor. Medical attention is necessary if your temperature rises to more than 103°F or 39.4°C.
  • In case of children, you need to call a doctor if the temperature rises to more than 100°F or 38°C.
  • Seek medical help if the fever lasts for more than three days.


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