At what temperature does immunity work. Fever, immunity

Fever with a cold (FLU) is a matter of course for most people. However, situations are not uncommon when even a severe cold does not cause a rise in temperature.

In most cases, this is a harmless sign that does not indicate anything serious. But there are situations when the absence of temperature against the background of a typical cold clinical picture indicates the presence of another more serious disease.

Colds that do not increase body temperature are not uncommon. Many believe that this is a variant of the norm, and no supervision is required. Unfortunately, it is not.

Normally, with ARVI, the body triggers a cascade of protective reactions. One of them is an increase in body temperature to 37-38 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is above this value, then we are talking about a serious cold.

A physiological increase in body temperature (up to 38 degrees) is necessary in order to stop the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms and slow down their development. There is also a version that at a slightly elevated body temperature, the human immune system works faster and more efficiently. However, so far this is just speculation.

The absence of even a minimal increase in body temperature in acute respiratory infections often suggests that have problems with the immune system sick. In most cases, these are temporary problems caused by the infection itself, which is not dangerous in a particular case, but in general, measures should be taken to strengthen the body in general.

In more rare cases, this symptom indicates a critical failure of immunity. Therefore, regardless of the patient's well-being, if an increase in temperature is not observed during ARVI (and especially if this happens repeatedly), it is advisable to visit a therapist.

Why this happens: causes of a cold without fever

There are three main reasons for this condition, two of which require correction, and one is conditionally favorable. Namely:

  1. The defeat of the infection, which does not require an increase in temperature to combat.
  2. Weakened immunity (this often affects children, the elderly, pregnant women, as well as those who have serious health problems).
  3. The impact of medications.

In the first case, there is no temperature due to the fact that a certain strain of acute respiratory infections has entered the body, which does not require the activation of this defense mechanism. It should be noted that there are relatively few such strains of acute respiratory infections, no more than 20% of all circulating in nature.

The second reason is the most serious. In this case, the temperature is absent due to a malfunction of the immune system. Most often, this is an independent disease of the immune system, in no way connected with the infection that got into it with a cold.

But it happens that it was a cold that caused the immune system to fail. This is usually associated with the introduction of an extremely aggressive infection into the body, which in some cases can lead to serious complications (meningitis, lung abscess, sepsis).

The third reason is the most banal: the use of various medicines for colds. Even those drugs that do not directly “knock down” the temperature can lead to its absence. Most often, these are antibiotics, which, by destroying infectious agents (only bacterial!), turn off the component of the immune system that is responsible for raising the temperature.

Regardless of the cause of this condition, consultation with a doctor is required. Its delay endangers not only health, but also life.

Symptoms: how to identify a cold if there is no temperature?

In general, a cold without fever has exactly the same symptoms as with it:

  • runny nose (sometimes there may even be purulent snot, which indicates a complication of the disease and requires immediate medical advice);
  • sore (red) throat and pain in it;
  • cough (both dry and with phlegm);
  • mild difficulty breathing (a feeling of tightness in the chest);
  • headaches (usually localized in the superciliary arches and bridge of the nose);
  • pain in the dentition of the upper jaw;
  • pain in the face (due to inflammation of the maxillary sinuses);
  • stomach ache;
  • muscle aches;
  • mild joint pain.

The above are the classic symptoms of a cold. But there are also terrible symptoms suggestive of a complicated cold and requiring immediate medical attention:

  • the presence of blood or pus in the nasal mucus;
  • cluster headaches (unbearable, pinpoint);
  • neck stiffness (the head cannot be tilted to the sides);
  • severe joint pain (autoimmune disease);
  • vomiting that does not bring relief, frequent or persistent nausea;
  • coughing up blood;
  • hallucinations, delusions;
  • tachycardia with a heart rate above 130 beats per minute, or bradycardia with a heart rate below 50 beats per minute;
  • severe pain in the region of the heart (there is a possibility of infective endocarditis), especially if a child has such a complaint.

How to understand that it is a cold, and not another disease?

Sometimes a cold without a fever hides much more serious problems that require an emergency visit to the hospital. Unfortunately, such situations are not uncommon.

If, against the background of a banal clinical picture of a cold, swelling or suppuration of the tonsils develops, then this may indicate the presence of bacteria that are not typical for a common cold. This situation requires a visit to a doctor, since there is a high risk of developing a pharyngeal abscess and even mediastinitis (purulent expansion of the chest).

In the presence of wheezing and "gurgling" in the lungs, we can talk about the possibility of developing pneumonia. This is a serious disease that, if not adequately treated, can lead to death.

In the presence of severe pain in the face and pus in the nasal mucus, acute purulent inflammation of the sinuses preceding meningitis can be suspected. This is an emergency situation requiring an ambulance.

Does SARS happen without temperature (video)?

Features and methods of treatment

If this is really a cold without a temperature, and not any other of the diseases listed in the article, then the treatment is the same as for a common cold with a temperature. The following actions will help get rid of this disease:

  1. home mode. If you need to go outside, you should try to avoid crowds of people (due to the possibility of reinfection or the addition of new pathogenic microorganisms, due to weakened immunity).
  2. Warm clothes.
  3. Frequent wet cleaning of the apartment.
  4. Physical relaxation and stress reduction.
  5. The use of teas, expectorants and medicines for the common cold.

Maria Blashkevich, homeopath: High fever in children is often a test for parents. The reasons for this are described in different ways - from worries, how to help the child feel better and get better soon; possible fears about what to do if the child has convulsions at a temperature and how this can affect - to the assumption that the temperature, if it is not brought down, will rise non-stop, the body will boil itself, as it were, and the blood will simply clot without antipyretics.

There are a lot of scientific articles about this, I will give a few of them at the end - but I want to talk not about whether to bring down the temperature or not. However, the question of how this process works is very interesting and practically useful. Why does someone have a high temperature during illness, and someone never has a temperature higher than 38.5, beloved by pediatricians? And someone generally practically does not get sick acutely and with a high temperature. Why does someone get sick rarely and acutely, while someone regularly suffers from the same type of problems, and someone has unpleasant symptoms almost all the time. And someone almost does not get sick at all, and feels great.

The ability to get sick acutely and with a high temperature is directly related to this. This is one of the most striking and easy to use indicators of the overall state of the immune system. The state of the immune system is of great importance, as it largely determines our state of health, the presence or absence of chronic problems, well-being, the ability to concentrate, and even energy, need for sleep and cheerfulness.

In the following, I will mainly use the more general term "the body's defense system", since in the framework of classical homeopathy - as in ordinary life - not only the ability to adequately respond to viruses and bacteria is important to us, but also to stress and other disease-causing factors. and conditions. Our health is not only and not so much a set of indicators and analyzes. It is how we feel, and how much our well-being prevents us – or, on the contrary, helps us – to live a healthy, happy and fulfilling life, now and in the future.

The state of the defense system is directly related to why different people tend to get sick in different conditions and get sick with different diseases. Someone is sick from the cold, sometimes quite insignificant. Someone - having quarreled with a loved one, showing anger or feeling jealousy. Others feel unable to recover from grief or loss, even if it has been 20 years since then. Some get sick just like one of the parents or other relatives. Some people need very little incentive to get sick or feel worse. And someone is able to fully recover even after serious blows of fate. Sensitivity, susceptibility and vitality obviously vary from person to person.

Of course, there are extreme, extremely aggressive conditions and / or microorganisms, in the event of an encounter with which no one can resist. However, in everyday life we ​​rarely meet with this. Usually we are talking about much more banal and less aggressive disease-causing factors - a group of children in kindergarten, a flu epidemic at work, acute or chronic stress. And here the general state of health, immunity and the ability to recover after meeting with a pathogenic factor come to the fore.

So, what options are possible here, what are the most common states of the protective system? How can we determine what state our defense system is in?

Although fever in children is usually more of a concern, the signs, situations and conditions described below are relevant regardless of age.

Let's start with the obvious. The healthiest and most stable state - looks like a stable well-being, mentally and physically. A person in this state adapts to pathogenic factors so effectively that the process is practically invisible. There are practically no acute diseases, since people from this group are “too” healthy and strong for this. In order for them to really get sick with something serious, very serious disease-causing factors are needed, and even then they usually have an excellent prognosis.

The next possible state of the defense system is also a very healthy and strong person. The level of his health is such that he can cope with most disease-causing factors quickly and completely - just not as imperceptibly as it happens with people from the previous group. This appears to be in good health, with no chronic emotional, mental or physical problems, with rare acute illnesses with a high (above 38.5) temperature that quickly (usually 1-3 days) and completely resolve on their own without requiring treatment and without leaving consequences. The ability to get sick with a high temperature and recover quickly is directly related to the state of the protective system. Such diseases are a direct manifestation of the ability of the immune system to respond actively and effectively.

However, let's imagine that the health of such a person was somehow weakened. He may have suffered severe and/or severe chronic stress, or aggressive treatment of the common cold with long-term heavy antibiotics or a 20-drug list, or some tangible trauma, mental or physical. Perhaps he was forced to move to an ecologically unfavorable area with poor food, or a previously inactive hereditary predisposition manifested itself (“asthma like a dad” or tonsillitis like a grandmother, etc.). That is, something quite serious happened that affected health. What will happen to his well-being in this case?

Usually, at this stage, the diseases gradually become more and more frequent, and at the same time the ability to recover completely without treatment and without consequences decreases. At the beginning of this stage, there may still be a high temperature, but it often looks like a strong, but - alas - no longer an effective reaction.

As the activity of the protective system decreases, the temperature ceases to rise to numbers that can frighten parents or a pediatrician. What we see on the thermometer at this stage is, for example, 37.2, or 38. The numbers cease to bother. However, recovery is often very slow and sluggish, the disease is long, exhausting and requires a significant amount of time to recover. In fact, we see that the reaction of the defense system is not strong enough and effective enough to recover on its own, without treatment and consequences. Will we then be pleased with these numbers, so pleasing to the eye of most pediatricians, numbers that are customarily diligently achieved by a continuous stream of paracetamol with ibuprofen?

In this state, the advice not uncommon in "natural-parenting" circles to stop drugging the child and not interfere with his recovery - very effective in almost healthy children of the previous level, who, indeed, usually just spend a couple of days in bed - this idea is for people whose immunity not so active and effective, usually not suitable. At this stage, most diseases need to be treated, as the defense system is no longer able to cope with them on its own and completely. A concomitant manifestation of this is the inability of the immune system to respond strongly and effectively, the inability to get sick with a high fever and recover quickly. That is, it is usually impossible not to be treated with anything at this stage.

However, if a person with an already sufficiently weakened and vulnerable defense system uses aggressive drugs for a long time, this, as a rule, worsens his health even more over time. The vast majority of effective medicines are at the same time very toxic, and also, in principle, are not aimed at promoting health and improving the state of the immune system. The principle of operation of antibiotics, antihistamines, hormones, antiviral and antifungal agents, etc. - actually consists in replacing those functions of the body with which the body itself cannot cope.

But if we “simply” replace what our body used to be able to do with pills from a jar, what happens to these functions? What happens to our body? What does our brain think, which over and over again encounters the fact that all those reactions, immune, hormonal, mental, whatever - that it diligently produced - that all these reactions are turned off with the help of medicines? How long will he continue to try to regulate or cope with something?

So, let's say that another disease-causing factor caused a further deterioration in the state of the defense system. What does it look like? In the next stage, we see fewer and fewer attempts to respond sharply and productively, and at the same time more symptoms that are constantly present or recur regularly. At this stage, there are usually very few or almost no acute illnesses. However, there isn't much fun in it. Unfortunately, it is from such a situation that it is quite easy to get into a serious chronic condition.

When the level of health is such that the defense system no longer has the strength or capacity to actively work to maintain health, a small stimulus may be enough to make the problems worsen dramatically.

In these days, when so many people suffer from chronic health problems, it can be very helpful to understand the different methods, their potential and side effects. Technically, a surgeon cannot repair immunity or a wounded soul. But with a fracture, he will cope best of all, his specialization is ideal for this.

With the mainstream medical specialties, it is more or less clear to everyone what they can and cannot do - however, many serious and urgent problems, for all their prevalence, are very difficult to respond to "traditional" methods of treatment. Conditions such as, for example, disorders of the immune system, asthma, depression, phobias, the consequences of mental and physical trauma - which specialist should I contact with this, which method of treatment is the most promising? The device of such problems is individual, they can be caused by different reasons and be arranged in different ways. And if we want to find the most effective method of treatment - as a rule, this is also a matter of individual choice, a matter of matching the essence of the problem, health disorders in a particular person, and the possibilities and potential side effects of the method.

Conventional medical methods are directed to a specific place - an organ or part of the body, or an organ system. Due to the fact that the connections between organs and organ systems, as well as such a thing that is tangible in everyday life, but elusive for a traditional doctor, such as general health and energy levels, are ignored, unpleasant consequences can be obtained if the problem is somewhat larger. than a random little incident. If we are dealing with trauma, in most cases local treatment is necessary and effective. But if we consider, for example, such a chronic condition as psoriasis, does the skin condition seem to cause the main complaints? However, most likely, the disease consists not only of rashes, but may also include the state of the immune system, as well as hereditary tendencies (which will not disappear if you “simply” remove the rashes). And then the question of how local treatment, aimed only at the condition of the skin, will affect the general state of health, becomes very serious.

In reality, we see that in the case of diseases based on impaired immunity and hereditary factors, local, symptomatic treatment often does not have long-term positive effects at all. Alas. If you work only with the effect, but not with the cause, there is a great risk of only adding to your condition a set of consequences of taking toxic drugs, but not getting any tangible long-term improvements either in relation to the main complaints or in relation to well-being. And working with the causes, in turn, requires the choice of an individually suitable method.

Homeopathic treatment is interesting precisely because it is able to repair the state of the defense system, including hereditary conditions, the effects of stress and trauma, and thereby cure many chronic conditions and recurring problems. Of course, when it comes to long-term and tangible problems, this is not always quick and easy, and, as a rule, it’s not at all “one dose of one medicine” and that’s it, health is returned. Homeopathic treatment, like any serious business, requires some work - but at the same time it provides opportunities to seriously improve the state of health and well-being.

You can read more about high temperature in English here.

Temperature sensitivity helps the immune system fight a variety of diseases.

When an infection or tumor appears in the body, immune cells tune the activity of their own genes so that they eliminate the threat with maximum efficiency.

To do this, special proteins are sent to the cell nucleus, which recognize the necessary genes in DNA, bind to them and force other proteins to more actively synthesize messenger RNA on the genes. The synthesis of RNA from DNA is called transcription, and the proteins that regulate it are called transcription factors. The RNA copies are then picked up by other molecular machines that synthesize the desired proteins on them.

One of the best-known regulators of immune gene activity is a transcription factor called the nuclear factor kappa-bi, or NF-κB (here it should be clarified that NF-κB is not the name of some protein, but of a whole family). However, the work of NF-κB is not limited to entering the cell nucleus, turning on immune genes and sitting on them to the bitter end.

In fact, it behaves like a pendulum, now entering the core, then leaving it; accordingly, the immune genes controlled by kappa-bee turn on and off. If the cycle is broken, if the kappa-bi is deregulated and, when it enters the nucleus, stays there longer than usual, then the inflammatory reaction will get out of control, and autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. can begin.

Moreover, NF-κB itself has its own regulators. Researchers from the University of Warwick write in their article in PNAS that kappa bi's travels around the cell depend on temperature: the higher it is, the more often it runs to the nucleus and back. And the rhythm of its work depends on another immune protein called A20.

A20 is known to calm the immune system by suppressing inflammation. If the cage was deprived of A20, then the "kappa-bi" in it ceased to feel the temperature. Here we can recall that our body temperature changes during the day: the biological clock slightly cools us during sleep.

Although our daily temperature fluctuations are not very large, within one and a half degrees, "kappa-bi" feels such fluctuations, according to the authors of the work. And those immune problems, like uncontrolled inflammation, that occur in people with an upset biological clock, may arise precisely because a broken clock begins a disorder in temperature cycles, which, in turn, affects the functioning of the immune regulator NF- κB.

On the other hand, it is known that if mice are kept at a temperature higher than usual, they will be more resistant to malignant diseases, and they will tolerate inflammation more easily; and infections like the flu or the common cold are more severe during the cold season. (And we already somehow wrote about that.)

Obviously, all this can be explained by the sensitivity of the immune system to the temperature of the body and the environment: in a warm environment, thanks to more frequent kappa-bee cycles, the immune system copes with problems better. And, perhaps, such temperature sensitivity can be used in the treatment of a variety of diseases, from the common cold to cancer.

About body temperature

I have long wanted to state my understanding of the role of elevated temperature in the process of a disease. Somehow there was a substitution of concepts and meanings in this matter. If the disease in a child is accompanied by fever, then the parents declare fever as the first enemy to the health of their baby and actively begin to fight it. More informed parents, who have heard somewhere about the benefits of a high temperature, do not immediately strive to defeat the fever in a child. But since understanding and knowledge in this matter is not enough, they quickly change their point of view and, when the temperature rises to 38 degrees, they use an antipyretic.

To fill this information gap, it is necessary to “declassify” information about elevated temperature and its role in the process of an infectious disease.

First of all, it is important to know that the so-called "normal" temperature of 36.6 is the average temperature for an adult healthy human body. In the morning it can be lower, and in the evening it can rise to 37 degrees and even a little higher. And in a newborn child, a temperature of 37.3 is also normal (I note that the neonatal period is quite long - from birth to 40 days).

Here is what the famous physiologist, Professor A.I. Arshavsky:

"... In medicine, the concept of NORM is often associated with a certain average (statistical average) value. A NORM for an adult is considered to be a temperature of 36.6, although for some people a temperature of 36.3 or 37 may be normal. Normal heart rate (heart rate) for newborns in maternity hospitals consider 115 beats per minute, as a kind of average value, fluctuating between 80 and 150 beats per minute. Such an average figure does not mean anything ... "(1) (In medical textbooks, it is generally accepted that the heart rate of a newborn is 110-155 bpm - approx. T.S.)

I want to say right away that a person has a fever not only during an illness. It can appear with increased activity of the body, which solves some serious task of transformation. For example, the temperature often rises in babies during teething or in women when milk is produced. In other words, temperature can occur with increased activity of certain functions of the body, making the transformation processes more dynamic.

But here we will talk about the elevated temperature that accompanies infectious diseases.


What do doctors say about fever?

Robert S. Mendelsohn, American pediatrician, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, writes:

"... Measuring the temperature, in essence, is also a useless procedure. When the mother of a sick child calls the doctor, the first thing he asks is what his temperature is. But this question is meaningless, since some harmless diseases proceed with a very high temperature. Let's say roseola, a common childhood disease*, quite harmless, often gives a temperature of 40-40.1 degrees C, and at the same time there are deadly diseases, say, tuberculous meningitis, in which the temperature is normal or almost normal.Therefore, the doctor should be interested in qualitative parameters - for example how the child feels, whether anything unusual has appeared in his behavior. To trust the numbers means to attach mystical significance to the entire healing process ... "(2)

A Moscow pediatrician with 50 years of medical experience, Ada Mikhailovna Timofeeva, writes in her book the following about fever:

"... There are many excellent old methods of lowering the temperature that we forgot about. But first we will think: is it worth it to lower the temperature of patients at all, and if so, in what cases.

An increase in temperature indicates that the body has begun to fight the infection. At a temperature of about 38 degrees, pathogenic microbes and viruses begin to die. (And at a temperature of 38.6 degrees, most of them die in a very short time, and recovery is faster. - T.S.) At the same time, the body produces protective substances, in particular, specific interferons that destroy viruses. Therefore, an increase in temperature is a sign of the body's own fight against infection. Immunity is produced only in the body's fight against pathogens., i.e. special antibodies appear that remember foreign microorganisms and, at a new meeting, “rush into battle” with them. In this case, a person acquires protection from this disease.

That is, a natural immunity to this disease is developed for life. That is why it is safer to get chickenpox, rubella or measles in childhood, which always occur at high temperatures, and get lifelong immunity. In addition, children are much easier to tolerate these diseases than adults.

For example, a baby who feeds on mother's milk for up to 6 months will never get measles even when in close contact with the patient, if the mother has already had this disease before. Mother's milk will contain anti-measles antibodies that destroy the measles virus. Any doctor knows that if a child has inflammation of the lungs against a background of normal temperature, then the condition of such a patient is much more difficult compared to a patient who has the same disease against a background of elevated body temperature. The first child, of course, has impaired ability to fight the disease, reduced immunity.

Elevated temperature is an adaptive reaction of the body, aimed at destroying harmful agents and stimulating its own immunity ... "(3)

Also, fever is not the cause of the disease, and in most cases it is not necessary to fight it.

Pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky writes: "... An increase in body temperature is the most typical manifestation of not only SARS (acute respiratory viral infections), but also any infectious disease. The body thus stimulates itself, while producing substances that will fight pathogens.

The main of these substances is interferon ... Interferon is a special protein that has the ability to neutralize viruses, and its amount is directly related to body temperature - i.e. the higher the body temperature, the more interferon. The amount of interferon reaches its maximum on the second or third day after the temperature rises, and that is why most SARS end safely on the third day of illness. If there is little interferon - the child is weak (cannot respond to an infection with a high temperature), or the parents are “very smart”: the temperature was quickly “knocked down”, then there is almost no chance of ending the disease in three days. In this case, all hope is for antibodies that will definitely end the viruses, but the duration of the disease will be completely different - about seven days ... "(4)

______________________________________________________________________

* baby roseola- an infectious disease common among young children, mainly up to 2 years of age.
Other names: exanthema subitum, sixth disease, pseudorubella, sudden exanthema, infantile three-day fever, roseola infantum, exanthema subitum, pseudorubella
Epidemiology: Rroseola infantum is one of the most common exanthems in early childhood. The route of transmission is airborne. The incubation period is 5-15 days. The time of maximum manifestation is between 6 and 24 months of age. At the age of 4 years, almost all children have antibodies. Seasonality is typical - spring and early summer.
Clinical manifestations: usually the disease begins acutely, with a rise in temperature to febrile figures (above 38.1 degrees). In the future, after a day or two, there may be a liquefaction of the stool, possibly with an admixture of mucus. There are no other manifestations of the disease. No catarrhal phenomena, cough, runny nose. After 3-4 days of persistent fever (high temperature), a maculopapular rash appears - first on the face, chest and abdomen, and after a few hours throughout the body. In this stage, the mandibular lymph nodes may increase. After the rash appears, the temperature no longer rises. The rash gradually fades away, leaving no pigmentation or flaking.
Diagnostics: In the general blood test, there is leukopenia, relative lymphocytosis.
Treatment: specific treatment is not required. During the period of temperature rise, antipyretic drugs (ibuprofen, paracetamol) are used. In children with immunosuppression, it is possible to use foscarnet, acyclovir.


When should the temperature be reduced?

Reduce the child's body temperature when it is very high (39-40 degrees), and the child does not tolerate this condition.

Here it is important to emphasize the phrase: "and the child does not tolerate this condition well." The fact is that many children tolerate fever well.

What does it mean - "tolerates high temperatures well"?

The child sleeps calmly and a lot. May wake up frequently, but only briefly. And he spends most of the day sleeping. He can be lethargic and kind of subdued when awake. Wakes up, as a rule, on any need, after the satisfaction of which he quickly falls asleep. Can temporarily refuse food, and sometimes for a short time and from water.

It is not uncommon for a 3-year-old baby at a temperature of 38 degrees and above to continue to lead an active lifestyle: he plays, is interested in the world, etc. And a slight difference in his usual behavior may be that he eats less, drinks more and sleeps more than usual. This also applies to "tolerates well". You should not additionally warm the child, put him to bed, and even more so bring down the temperature. But you should not leave the house with him, or go somewhere either. At elevated temperatures, there is a load on cardiac activity and other body functions. Therefore, doctors advise even adults to allow themselves to get sick, canceling all cases. Just be with your child these days, observe his condition.

"... Each child is individual and tolerates elevated temperatures differently. There are kids who calmly continue to play at 39 degrees, but it happens only 37.5, and he almost loses consciousness. Therefore, there can be no universal recommendations for how long wait and after what number on the thermometer scale to start saving ... "(4)

So, you should not “knock down” the elevated temperature, even if it turns out to be slightly higher than 39-40 degrees, if the child tolerates it well. The higher the temperature, the faster it will help the body cope with the infection and the less time the temperature will be high. And as a result, recovery will come faster.

What does it mean - "does not tolerate high temperatures"?

The child falls asleep for a short time and sleeps in an uneasy sleep. Waking up, crying. Wandering eyes may be present. Then he falls asleep again, as if half asleep. This suggests that the child's body very zealously took up the destruction of the infection. Adults describe such high temperature experiences as obsessions or nightmares. It is possible that the child experiences similar states, but he cannot describe it to us.

In this case, the child needs to be helped by lowering the temperature by a few tenths of a degree.


If we use antipyretic drugs, then we will only achieve a decrease in temperature, and, as a rule, below 38 degrees. In this case, the infection will be safe and will continue to host in the child's body. The disease will drag on and move from an acute stage to a chronic one (chronos, lat. - time).

If we use antibiotics, they will most likely begin to destroy and as a result destroy the pathogenic virus, due to which the temperature will also begin to drop rapidly. But we will pay a high price for this.

1. Antibiotics (“anti” - against, “bio” - life) by their very name indicate that they destroy not only pathogenic bacteria, but also bacteria that are friendly to our body, for example, bacteria of the intestinal microflora. The active use of antibiotics as a result leads to dysbacteriosis - a pathological condition of the microflora that spread in the second half of the twentieth century and does not give up its positions to this day. It is not difficult to draw a parallel with the development of the pharmaceutical industry and the active use of more and more new antibiotics in the same time period. The growth of diseases of the digestive system with an increase in the use of antibiotics is directly proportional.

2. In addition, some of the components of antibiotics are not excreted by the body, remaining in the body in the form of deposits in the joints and vital organs. This further contributes to the emergence of various known diseases, and sometimes previously unknown to science.

3. And, of course, the use of antibiotics makes it impossible for the body to make a "cast" of a pathogenic bacterium, suppresses the activity of the immune system, as if leaving it "illiterate". After all, we deprive the body of high temperature. The disease, repeatedly returning, becomes chronic.

The mechanism of antibody production is simple: it takes some time from the moment of illness to the onset of symptoms.And the body manages to make a “sculpture” of the pathogenic agent. Therefore, many foreign bacteria do not find themselvesshelters in the body and are destroyed by the immune system "on the vine" - before the onset of symptoms of the disease. But,when the temperature begins to rise, we are already talking about the onset of the disease. Increasing the temperature speeds up all processesin organism * in general, and the rate of the immune response in particular. As a result, the disease passes faster, and
the immune system, familiar with the "enemy" will no longer let him on the threshold.

4. Any doctor knows that with the constant use of one or another antibiotic, after a while, the infection adapts to it. And then you have to start taking stronger drugs. The same applies to antipyretic drugs: they are being taken more and more often, and then they cease to act as antipyretic drugs. And have to switch to other drugs.

If the cause of fever is a viral disease, then the doctor prescribes antiviral drugs, which are even more toxic than antibiotics.

"... Almost all manifestations of the disease - fever, runny nose, cough, refusal to eat - are ways the body fights the infectious agent. And modern medicines can work wonders - instantly lower the temperature, "turn off" the runny nose and cough, etc. To unfortunately, many of these medicines are in your home first-aid kit. Therefore, knowing something, you will try to make life easier for the baby and yourself ... And as a result, instead of three days of a runny nose, you will get three weeks in the hospital with pneumonia ... "(4)

The use of antibiotics and antipyretic drugs for colds, SARS, childhood illnesses (rubella, chickenpox, etc.) is unjustified and looks more like "shooting sparrows from a cannon." The effect of the bottom is very temporary, and with the subsequent devastation, then it will take a long time to figure it out.

"... You should also reduce body temperature in children prone to convulsions, in children with birth injuries and lesions of the central nervous system. In such cases, you need to start lowering body temperature at 37.5-37.8 degrees, without waiting for the rise to 38 degrees and higher…" (4)

Nowadays, about 80% of children are born with physiological immaturity. (1)

"... In recent years, the number of physiologically immature newborns has been increasing (more than 80%). In addition, there are birth injuries and CNS lesions of varying severity acquired at the time of birth. The share of hereditary diseases accounts for only 5-7%. The numbers are simply incomparable. At the same time, the first value tends to further increase ... "(1)

At the same time, E.O. Komarovsky we read:

"... There are, and not at all rare, situations when a child's body temperature rise is poorly tolerated. Sometimes a child's body temperature increase is dangerous because he has any diseases of the nervous system, and high body temperature can provoke convulsions. Yes, and, according to by and large, a body temperature above 39 degrees, which lasts for more than an hour, has a negative effect no less than a positive one ... "(4)

It turns out that with such statistics, we cannot provide half of the children with the opportunity to naturally develop and strengthen the immune system to fight infection on their own.

And the conclusion suggests itself that the rising temperature in a sick child should cause panic in most parents.

Here, Komarovsky does not explain to us why a temperature above 39 degrees, which lasts for more than an hour, is as harmful as it is useful. And why shoot it down if the child tolerates it well?

It is not necessary to bring the matter to convulsions, tk. in our arsenal there are ways to reduce the temperature a little - by a few tenths of a degree - by natural methods.

__________________________________________

* As mentioned at the very beginning, the temperature can rise with increased activity of certain functions.organism, making the transformation processes more dynamic. That is why each increase in temperature is notshould be taken as a symptom of the disease and immediately strive to bring it down in any way.



 How to lower the temperature?

Once again, it should be noted that we are watching the child: the rise in temperature, his behavior and condition. And, estimating this condition as “tolerates temperature well”, we do not take any actions towards its reduction. E.O. Komarovsky recommends the following in this case.

"...Two mandatory steps:
1. Plentiful drink (approximately body temperature);
2. Cool air in the room (optimally 16-18 degrees) (the child is dressed - author's note).

If these conditions are met, the probability that the body itself will not cope with the temperature is very small ... "(4)

So…

If a child does not tolerate temperature well or parents do not tolerate the fact that their child's temperature rises, then there is a fairly large arsenal of ways to partially reduce it without violating the child's natural immunity against infection.


Diet and cleansing enema

If the temperature begins to rise rapidly, then in this case an enema helps very well (with a capacity of 50 ml to 250 ml - depending on the age of the child). The water temperature is 34-36 degrees. The water needs to be slightly salted with plain table salt so that the taste of the water is slightly salty. Salt water will not be absorbed into the body, but on the contrary, it will draw in the products of cellular metabolism and leave the body.

The fact is that the body spends a lot of energy on the activity of the digestive system. That is why the appetite disappears, and the child refuses food when he gets sick.

"... The success of your treatment with non-drug therapy will always depend on how you feed the patient. The fact is that the main organs on the full-fledged work of which the formation of immunity depends are the liver and the digestive system. And if during the illness they are overloaded , then immunity will not be developed properly, and the food of the sick child will not be completely absorbed.

In addition to digesting food, absorbing nutrients, neutralizing harmful substances, “preserving” excesses and many other tasks, the digestive system is constantly busy with another function - to rid the body of metabolic products. And if we do a cleansing enema, then we help the body with the excretion of feces, and now it can direct the released energy to problem areas in the body and fight the disease.

A.M. also attaches great importance to the cleansing enema. Timofeev:

"...At high temperatures, the absorption of toxic wastes increases (this is due to the body's increased need for fluid - T.S.), which always accumulate in the lower intestines. By cleansing the intestines, you protect the body from the absorption of harmful toxic products. In addition, after cleansing enema, the temperature usually drops by 0.5-1.0 degrees, and the child's condition improves. Of course, for a while. But aspirin and pyramidon also reduce the temperature only for 1-1.5 hours. Then you have to give them several more times ... " (3)

Of course, a cleansing enema does not need to be used to lower the temperature every 1-1.5 hours. If the child refuses to eat, then toxic waste will accumulate in the lower intestine only after 16-20 hours. And if by this time the body temperature will continue to remain high, then the cleansing enema can be repeated.

"... It must be borne in mind that in no case should children simply be given a water enema. At a high body temperature, ordinary water administered through an enema is actively absorbed by the intestines and takes with it harmful metabolic products. The child's condition deteriorates sharply ... "(3)

Hypertonic saline

Indeed, children should be administered hypertonic solutions. The calculation is as follows: 1-2 teaspoons per glass (200 ml) of warm water (cold water causes cramps and pain). Such a solution prevents the absorption of water through the intestinal wall and, conversely, brings it out with the feces. Children under 6 months to 1-1.5 years old - 70-100 ml, from 2-3 years old - one glass, preschoolers - 1.5-2 glasses. Children 12-14 years old are given 700-800 ml of liquid per liter of water 1-2 tablespoons of table salt (without top).

Such enemas are given not only to relieve high fever, but also in case of a disease of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as in all cases when it becomes necessary to cleanse the child's intestines ..." (3)

Literally immediately after the enema, the temperature will drop by a few tenths of a degree, or even more. And the baby can fall asleep peacefully for 1-3 hours.

It often happens that the temperature no longer returns and the child recovers in 2-3 days.

And it happens that after 1-3 hours the baby wakes up again with a fever. It may turn out to be less, or again begins to grow rapidly. And if the child does not tolerate it well, then it can be reduced to normally tolerated, but by other methods.

To do this, you need to understand one simple principle: if you remove the temperature from the surface of the body - cool the skin - then the temperature inside the body will decrease by a few tenths of a degree (for example, from 39 to 38.4). On the one hand, we will alleviate the condition of the baby, and on the other hand, the temperature inside the body will be high enough to produce interferon and other antibodies to further fight the infection.

Cold douches, rubdowns, wraps

The easiest ways to reduce fever are:

Wipe the body with a wet cool towel;
or
- pour cold water over your head (the coldest that is in the house: in a tap or in a well).


The first method at first glance seems to be more gentle, humane. It is very difficult to douse a little man from head to toe, especially if the parents themselves have never been doused with cold water. But those who doused themselves will confirm that it is much more comfortable to douse with a bucket of water from a well than if someone slowly and distinctly wiped a body full of heat with a cold cloth. And there is some merit in these arguments.

Then why not replace the coldest water with cool water? You can, of course, replace, for example, with water at room temperature - 20-22 degrees. But the effect of lowering the temperature will be much smaller (for example, from 39 to 38.7) and the time of quiet wakefulness or sleep will be much shorter. Recall that one of the most important "medicines" during illness is sleep. This is the first argument.

There is an even more compelling argument in favor of dousing with cold (icy 4-6 degrees) water. The fact is that dousing with cold (ice) water is a stress for the body, mobilizing (awakening) all the functions of the body (not to be confused with distress, which, on the contrary, inhibits the functions of the body) * . For example, exposure to cold water (4-8 degrees above zero) on a body with a temperature of 39 degrees creates a temperature difference of 31-35 degrees. In particular, this short-term effect activates the human immune system, stimulating the activity of the adrenal glands. Their vigorous activity accelerates the process of recovery.

________________________________________________________________________
* Stress for the body, one can name an external short-term effect on a person, as a rule, unpleasant, but quickly passing. Stress (like distress) can be of a very different nature: physical, psychological, emotional, social, etc. Having shown itself to the body, stress, as it were, informs it that such effects on this organism can occur in a more powerful or prolonged manifestation. Having received such information from external space, the human body immediately reacts, remembering the signs (parameters) of stress and learning to resist it. (Read about stress: I.A. Arshavsky "Your child. At the origins of health", M., 1992)
Distress for the body can be called an external effect on a person in a longer time period. Moreover, for some people, external influences can be experienced as stress, while for others, as an unbearable burden for the body, turning into distress and depressing its functions. (“Everything that does not kill us makes us stronger” Nietzsche) In this case, the body's defenses are suppressed, and the person becomes susceptible to various diseases.


In addition to dousing with cold water, Ada Mikhailovna Timofeeva offers wiping with vinegar and water and wrapping. Here we will talk about wraps.

Wrap

"... Wrapping is even better (compared to wiping with water and vinegar - T.S.) This is an old method of not only lowering body temperature, but also cleansing the body. Our skin is the second lungs. It also breathes and releases harmful substances with sweat , which accumulate in the body during illness.The skin works especially well as an organ of cleansing in a child.In acute diseases, small children are given a full wrap.

To do this, a cotton cloth is taken and soaked in water or water infusion of yarrow (see preparation of the infusion). The temperature of water or yarrow infusion should be inversely proportional to the patient's body temperature. If the baby has a temperature of about 40 degrees, then the water should be cold (from the tap), and if he has a temperature of 37-37.5, then the water or infusion should be heated to 40-45 degrees.

Infusion preparation: Pour 1-2 tablespoons of yarrow into 0.5 liters of water at room temperature in porcelain, glass or enamelware, then place this dish in a boiling water bath and heat with frequent stirring for 15 minutes. Then cool, then filter through a cloth or gauze. A water bath can be replaced with a hot stove, but care must be taken to ensure that the medicine does not boil. The infusion can be prepared for 1-2 days of use. Store in a dark, cool place away from direct sunlight.

So, a well-wetted cloth is taken out and quickly wrapped around the child's body so that the arms remain free on top, and the legs, on the contrary, are wrapped inside from all sides. Only the feet remain unwrapped. After that, very quickly, the child should be wrapped in a sheet, then in a flannelette blanket, and finally in a woolen blanket (blankets should be prepared in advance). As a result, only the face and feet remain free. When the child is completely wrapped, put cotton socks moistened with water of the same temperature on the feet, woolen socks on top, and then turn the sheet and blankets so as to completely cover the feet. If you feel that the baby is cold, cover him with something else and put a warm heating pad at his feet. So he should lie for 50 minutes - 1 hour.

Similar procedures are useful for older children. (Yes, they will also help adults fight infection. - T.S.) But since it is difficult to wrap a large child completely, partial wraps can be done - only in the upper half of the body, starting from the neck to the end of the chest (you can grab and part of the abdomen).

Older children are recommended to give diaphoretic herbs, honey, raspberries during the wrapping procedure, if they are not allergic. The stronger the sweating, the more effective the procedure. Often, sweating does not begin after the first or second procedure, but later. But you should not do the wrapping twice a day, it is better to repeat it during a new rise in temperature the next day ... "(3)

But often the temperature quickly begins to rise during the day, especially the first day of illness. In this case, you can use dousing with cold water, followed by wrapping the body for 15 minutes in a dry sheet, without first wiping it with a towel.

By the end of the procedure, you need to prepare a warm bath to cleanse the skin of sweat. Then, after the bath, without drying the child, wrap him in a sheet, in a blanket and put him back in bed for 10-15 minutes. And then dress in clean clothes. If the child does not want to go to the bath, wash him with a shower. And if again after 2-3 hours the temperature starts to rise, you can again do the same bath, but without preliminary wrapping, or a warm shower ... "(1)

It is important to note here that the effectiveness of such a bath to a greater extent lies in the fact that after the bath the body is not wiped dry with a towel, but is still wet wrapped in a sheet. Moisturized skin continues to release metabolic products and harmful substances, and together with the remaining water, they are absorbed into the sheet. That is why after 10-15 minutes you need to remove the sheet and dress the child in dry, clean linen.


What to do if there is no fever
or is it small?

It is not uncommon for a child to have all the signs of a disease on his face, and the temperature is normal or slightly above normal, for example, 37.5 degrees. Such a disease can drag on sluggishly and for a long time, with varying success: then at some point the child suddenly gets better and it seems that he is on the mend, then suddenly lethargy sets in again, depression and weakness attacked.

This picture is observed in children who are dressed very warmly at any time of the year, who are treated with drugs, continue to be fed meat and dairy products during illness. As a result of such “care”, the child has a weak natural immunity and is prone to “catch an infection at every corner”.

In order to strengthen the immune system in a weakened child and switch to non-drug methods of treatment, it is important to choose a course of gradual elimination of antibiotics and antipyretics and follow it methodically.

Note that in this part of the article we will focus on children who:

1) often get sick without fever;

2) are not registered with a doctor with a narrow specialization, but so far they are only frequent patients of the local pediatrician. For children who are patients of a cardiologist, neurologist or any other specialist, these recommendations can be used in the treatment, but only in close contact with the specific doctor who sees your child.

So, now we know that a high temperature helps to develop natural immunity to the disease and speeds up the healing process. If there is no elevated temperature, then it is possible to simulate conditions inside the body for the activation of protective forces by external influences.

The most famous effect is a bath in combination with a cold (preferably ice) font or a steam room in combination with pouring cold water from a tub.

About the bath and boosting immunity

What happens to the body under these conditions? In a well-heated bath, we raise the body temperature. After that, we go to a cold font, plunge into it with our heads (1-3 times), which creates positive stress for the body. The dynamics of the vessels of the circulatory and lymphatic systems increases, metabolic processes accelerate. The skin and lungs begin to work most actively as excretory organs - metabolic products and harmful substances begin to be excreted from the body through sweat and breathing. And, of course, due to the large temperature difference - a steam room - 100 degrees, a cold font - 5-8 degrees above zero (a difference of about 90 degrees) stimulates the body's immune system, in particular the adrenal glands.

The adrenal glands release armies of antibodies into the blood, which immediately begin an active search for and destruction of pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Moreover, these super-agents memorize the "codes" and "ciphers" of new infections for the body and in the future, successfully masquerading as once exposed enemies, freely infiltrate their enemy camp and destroy the invaders. This happens with each subsequent attempt to penetrate our body. That is, in the future, immunity destroys the previously familiar infection in its very beginning. This is the essence of lifelong immunity. This is what the Russian bath is famous for, as "a remedy for all diseases."

Such cycles - steam bath, steam bath - need to go through 5-7 times, of course, with short rests in the dressing room. During these breaks, it is important to drink plenty of liquids, not very cold, hot: tea, weak fruit drinks. Any alcohol-containing drinks prevent effective sweating and are actively introduced into our body, poisoning it. This introduction occurs more smoothly than, say, at any holiday, because. the whole bathing process “opens the floodgates” of our body.

Of course, the use of brooms, massages, various natural masks and rubbing for the skin - all this generously heals our body. But let's continue the topic of increasing the activity of the body's defenses in case of a weakened child's illness.


And if there is no bath nearby? What to do?

Any thinking parent, having understood the mechanisms of the impact of large temperature changes on the body, will be able to simulate a mini-bath in urban conditions. Smaller temperature differences can also be used to stimulate the immune system of a weakened child (and an adult too). They also give the desired result, only more gradual, but effective enough to help the body cope with the disease faster.

Here is one of the ways that Ada Mikhailovna taught me when I was treating my 7-month-old daughter for bronchitis.

"Bath" at home

A large container (I found a plastic basin with a diameter of about 50 cm and a height of 35-40 cm) is installed on a stool in the bathroom next to the bath. Cotton pants, a blouse, a handkerchief, socks and a flannelette blanket are placed on the hot battery. A woolen blanket and a disassembled bed are prepared in the room. You must have an assistant to carry out the procedure.

Preparation for the procedure

1. Hot water is poured into the basin - 36-37 degrees.
2. Cold water is poured into the bath - the coldest that is in the tap. (Since it was the month of March, tap water in Moscow is below 10 degrees at that time.) If the water in the tap is above 10 degrees, then it is better to pour a lot of ice cubes into it, which must be prepared in advance in the freezer.
3. A kettle full of water is placed on the stove (on fire). By the beginning of the procedure, it should boil.

The procedure itself is as follows.

Undress the child and slowly immerse him up to his chest (sitting position) in a basin of water. Pour a mug over uncovered parts of the body, holding it with the other hand in a half-sitting position. When you notice that the baby is flushed from hot water (usually they begin to act up at the same time), then it's time to remove him from the basin of hot water, so that he can then be immersed in a bath of cold water.

1. An assistant brings a kettle of boiling water.
2. You take the baby out of the pelvis and plunge it into cold water up to the neck.
3. A) You make three wires along the bath at the expense of ONE-TWO-THREE so that the entire body of the child is under water.
B) At this time, your assistant pours boiling water from the kettle into a basin of hot water for exactly the same time as the baby is in cold water, i.e. during the time until the count of ONE-TWO-THREE is pronounced.

You remove the child from the bath, and the assistant stops pouring boiling water into the basin.

You immediately (but smoothly) immerse the baby up to the chest in hot water, and the assistant returns the kettle to the fire.

Let's call this set of actions ONE CYCLE.

For the entire procedure, you need to do three such cycles. While the child is in cold water for 3 seconds, the water in the pelvis rises by 1-1.5 degrees.
In three cycles, we increase the temperature difference and thus increase the core body temperature and stimulate the immune system and metabolic processes.

All this event must be completed by immersion in cold water! (For the same 3 seconds.)

Wet the child's body with a diaper (do not wipe dry!) ​​And quickly put on (wrap) in prepared dry clothes heated on a battery. Be sure to tie a cotton scarf on the child's head.

Conclusion

When using natural methods of helping the body with any incipient bacterial or viral disease, we can help the child very quickly. And so quickly that the main symptoms of a particular disease (for example, rhinitis - a severe runny nose, otitis media - "shoots" in the ear, laryngitis - sore throat, etc.) may not manifest themselves. But it often happens that the disease "shows itself." In these cases, it is necessary to supplement the treatment with other natural methods, and for some symptoms, one means and procedures are used, for others, others. This is described in detail in the book by A.M. Timofeeva (3), which is useful for every family to have in their home library. In this article, we do not provide recipes, because. most of the book would have to be reprinted.

We will only clarify that Ada Mikhailovna talks about the benefits of inhalations, cans, mustard plasters and other folk remedies that our great-grandmothers treated their children with, and recommends using them instead of modern antibiotics.


Filter information and learn to read between the lines

In turn, doctor E.O. Komarovsky first begins to talk about the benefits of elevated temperature in the process of fighting the infection, makes fun of those parents who interfere with this important process, starting to use antipyretic drugs ahead of time. But at the same time, he reduces the above-mentioned folk remedies to the level of prejudices, calling them "distracting procedures."

"... Every adult has at least once experienced distracting procedures on himself and his immediate family - after all, everyone knows the famous mustard plasters (jars, poultices, iodine nets, hot foot baths, etc.).

It should immediately be noted that the effectiveness of these procedures can neither be proved nor disproved. Diseases in which mustard plasters allegedly help, pass safely without mustard plasters. Serious diseases, again, mustard plasters are not cured.

So what are they for? First of all, for parents. The mother and father of a sick child simply itch to do “at least something” for the baby. And when the mustard plasters are removed, the baby really becomes much easier - because they removed it.
The main conclusion: distracting procedures are needed in order to entertain parents ... "(4)

At the same time, doctor Komarovsky recommends starting to “knock down” the temperature from 39 and above if it lasts more than an hour. And the main remedy for solving this problem is paracetamol, which reduces the temperature in ARVI (but not in bacterial infections). "... Paracetamol is a drug unique in its safety, even exceeding the dose by 2-3 times, as a rule, does not lead to any serious consequences, although this should not be done consciously..." (4)

And, if paracetamol does not help, then you need to urgently consult a doctor. Well, imperceptible clauses “as a rule” and “to some serious consequences” indicate that there are exceptions to the rules, and there are also consequences, but not very serious ones.

Also, doctor Komarovsky categorically denies the use of cold water to lower the temperature:

"…Attention!
When the body comes into contact with cold, a spasm of skin vessels occurs. It slows down blood flow, reduces the formation of sweat and heat transfer. The temperature of the skin decreases, but the temperature of the internal organs increases. This is extremely dangerous!

Do not use the so-called "physical methods of cooling" at home: ice packs, wet cold sheets, cold enemas, etc. In hospitals or after a doctor's visit, it is possible, because before that (before physical cooling methods), doctors prescribe special medicines that eliminate spasm of skin vessels ... "(4)

Three objections immediately arise:

It is true that with short-term exposure to cold water on the skin surface, a short-term spasm of the skin and blood microcapillaries in it occurs - this is the law of physics; but after that there is an almost instantaneous reaction of the body to the flow of blood into the cooled part of the body, the vessels expand and excess heat begins to come to the surface; the pores also open and the patient begins to perspire; the temperature inside the body decreases - this is the law of physiology; this effect can be confirmed by "walruses" - lovers of diving into an ice hole with ice water;

I have never heard from doctors recommendations to reduce body temperature during illness with the help of heating pads with ice, body wraps, cold enemas with prescribing medications that must necessarily accompany these procedures; and the use of these procedures in hospitals by orthodox medicine is all the more incredible;

And even if this is true, then what is the point of using a cold effect on the body (a natural method) if it does not lower the body temperature, but rather raises it; and at the same time, it is necessary to immediately use mysterious medicines (probably classified, the secret of which, apparently, only doctors are privy to) to expand the vessels on the surface of the shriveled body; Isn't it easier to use these medicines right away (?)

It is obvious that here it is not difficult for the reader to get confused.


Rules for the transition to non-drug therapy

But A.M. Timofeeva is very clear about the three rules that must be followed if parents switch to non-drug therapy.

"... 1. Medicinal and non-drug methods of treatment should not be mixed. (In this case, "medical methods" means allopathic methods of treatment - approx. T.S.)

2. During an acute illness with non-drug therapy, meat and dairy products (except breast milk) should be excluded from the diet.

3. With non-drug therapy, several treatment procedures per day should be done ... "(4)

I am not familiar with the use of a heating pad with ice or cold enemas for ARVI and colds. But dousing with cold water and cold wrapping at elevated temperatures I practiced in my life more than once thanks to the recommendations of Ada Mikhailovna Timofeeva. Ada Mikhailovna herself is a practicing doctor, worked for many years in children's hospitals and practiced methods of drug-free therapy in the intensive care unit, where she confirmed the effectiveness of these methods in practice. Thanks to the recommendations of Ada Mikhailovna Timofeeva, the author of these lines successfully cured acute bronchitis in her 7-month-old daughter using contrast water baths and oil and curd wraps.

So, parents have a choice: use cool water or cold water. Any choice will be true for each particular parent, because. no need to blindly follow any recommendations. Use only those recommendations or their variations that "fall on the soul." On your own experience, you will receive certain results that will help you decide on your own: HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD BETTER.

A.M. Timofeeva also talks about the importance of personal experience of an individual approach:

"... Each person, and even more so a child, reacts very individually to various procedures, especially those associated with cold water. The mother herself sometimes better than the doctor will choose the option that will be most acceptable for her child. And if you feel that something is wrong for your child, it helps, but you don’t have to do it exactly as I said - trust your own intuition ... "(4)


Literature

1. Arshavsky I.A. "Your child. At the origins of health”, M., 1992

2. Mendelssohn, Robert S. "Confessions of a heretic from medicine." – 2nd edition rev. - Novosibirsk: Homeopathic book, 2007, - 224 p.

3. Timofeeva A.M. "Conversations of the children's doctor". - 7th ed., - M .: Terevinf, 2010, - 176 p.

4. Komarovsky E.O. "The health of the child and the common sense of his relatives" - M .: Eksmo, 2012, - 592 p.

Tatiana Sargunas
Abkhazia - Odessa, 2012

It is quite common that people feel a decrease in body temperature, but there are no concomitant factors for the appearance of such a sign. Also, people quite often can have cold hands, feet, quite noticeable lethargy and apathy appear.

More often low body temperature appears due to the fact that a person has low hemoglobin, malfunction of the thyroid gland, the level of immunity in the body, a breakdown or some kind of illness that was not so long ago transferred by a person.

It is worth noting that if a person has already visited a doctor and passed all the tests, but the body temperature has not begun to rise, then you should definitely start changing your lifestyle. And this means that a person should exercise as much as possible, eat right. Also, the patient must take vitamins as much as possible daily in order to strengthen his immunity.

What can cause a person's body temperature to drop? Most often, these signs are:

  • A lesion that appears in the adrenal glands;
  • The work of the thyroid gland begins to decrease;
  • When a person is often overtired;
  • After a person has a chronic disease, the body does not function properly;
  • When a person takes a lot of drugs at the same time;
  • During pregnancy, there is also the option that a woman's body temperature may drop;
  • When a person does not have enough vitamin C in the body.

What is low body temperature?

In fact, low body temperature is considered when it is below thirty-six degrees Celsius. It is also worth noting that this body temperature can sometimes occur in healthy people, but most often this happens only in the morning. But it is also worth noting that when the temperature drops in the morning, this indicates that the functions of the thyroid gland are decreasing, there is also an option that the level of work of the adrenal glands decreases. It can also be noted that low body temperature can also occur due to exhaustion of the body, any diseases that are associated with the brain, with bronchitis, which is chronic or with a fairly serious blood loss. Also, low body temperature is quite common when the body begins to freeze.

What are the first signs that indicate that a person's body temperature is lowered?

  • The very first sign is the weakness of a person;
  • It is also considered a sign when a person constantly wants to sleep;
  • If a person has a general malaise;
  • Frequent irritability is also a sign of low body temperature;
  • When a person's thought processes begin to slow down, this is also considered the first sign.

It is also worth knowing and remembering that if a child has a low temperature, then the first thing to do is to show it to the doctor. But there are also such options when low body temperature is considered the norm. But this is only when a person is able to work at a low temperature, he does not have any pathologies, and he is constantly in a cheerful state.