Fever & chills - When do you have a fever? + How do I alleviate it? (7 tips)

Fever and chills are so hard. When do you have a fever and how do I relieve it? Here are my 7 tips for self-care!

I am a self-proclaimed expert on fever and chills, haha. Or fever care is probably a better word choice. This is because in 2.5 years I have had a sore throat 26 times with over 39 degrees fever and fever. Almost every month then (but not regularly).

But nothing bad that does not bring anything good with it;) As soon as someone near me gets a fever, I give my fever tips. Those tips are incredibly appreciated and very helpful!

So I thought, why not share these in a blog post? Maybe I can help more! So my sore throats are not completely in vain;)

Att vårda grundproblemet är också viktigt, eftersom feber är ett symptom och inte en sjukdom. Detta inlägg fokuserar bara på att “överleva feberperioden” på ett så bekvämt sätt som möjligt och med snabb återhämtning!

When do you have a fever?

What counts as a fever? In 1177 it says that over 38 degrees counts as fever.

When I was at the Infection Clinic, they said that you have a temperature above 38.5. So 38.5 = not fever, but 38.6 = fever.

När jag började få problem med halsen, feber och frossa så var jag ganska förvirrad över detta, jag kände mig febrig så fort termometern visade 37. Var jag känslig? Var jag ovanligt lågtempad? Det hör man ju många säga “jag har väldigt låg temp”.

But now I have learned that it is above all about how / where you take the temperature. When I felt feverish at 37, I took the temperature under my arm.

You also have a lower temperature in the morning than when you go to sleep (both normal temp and at fever temperature). This can also be included in the calculations.

Here I lay feeling sorry for myself, the last time I had a sore throat with a high fever and chills. Poor little :)

Fever temp - Thermometer & ta tempen (tip 1)

How to take the temperature? Under the arm? Mouths? The ear? Pannan? Butt?

The first question is, what is the purpose? Do you measure your fever temperature so that you can keep track of yourself? Or because you are going to seek care and the care staff need to know what your body temperature is?

Seek care:

If you are going to talk to healthcare professionals, I would recommend an ear thermometer, or alternatively that you also tell how you took the tempen.

This is because your body temperature is different in different parts of the body. At health centers and clinics (at least the ones I've been to) they take the temperature in the ear.

What is the difference between different thermometers? According to my own research, it is like this:

The temperature under the arm shows 0.5 degrees lower temperature compared to in the mouth.
The temperature in the mouth shows 0.5 degrees lower temperature than in the ear.

Example: The last time I was at the health center, I had 39.4 ° C with their ear thermometer. 38.9 ° C with my own classic thermometer in my mouth (under my tongue). And under my arm I had only 38.4 ° C.

Answer yes, I am so nerdy that I had my own thermometer and tested immediately afterwards just to see the difference. Have done it several times and it always differs exactly 0.5 ° C.

That is: it differs a whole degree under the arm compared to in the ear (note according to my thermometer and my tests!). En grad är väldigt mycket om vårdpersonal bedömer att du har feber om du har över 38,5. Om jag mätt under armen och sagt “jag har 38,4” så hade dom svarat att det inte ens är feber, men enligt deras egna mått så hade jag 39,4.

Med så hög feber och frossa som jag hade då, så hade jag blivit jätteledsen om dom sa “nej du har inte feber” haha. Jag blir så himla känslig när jag har feber också, kan börja gråta av allt.

Take the temperature to keep track of yourself:

If, on the other hand, the purpose is just that you want to check your fever temperature for your own sake, then the simple answer is: it does not matter how you take the temperature, as long as you measure the same every time. Then you can compare your normal temp (when you are healthy) with your fever temperature.

Because even though it differs in different parts of the body, the increase, ie the difference, between normal temperature and fever temperature is the same. However, it is important that you know what your normal temperature is at approximately, so take the temperature when you are healthy once so that you know.

Nowadays I usually take the temperature in my mouth. However, if I had no picture of it, I would offer this instead as I had had a fever and chills for several days. With swollen eyes but happy that I was on the road to recovery :)

How the fever temperature differs in the butt, I have no research of my own as I did not take the temperature like that, neither myself nor in hospital.

Best thermometer for children?

En termometer som mäter i pannan är enkelt på småbarn. Snabb och smidig grej att ha hemma för att ha koll på “feber eller icke feber”.

However, it can (at least the one I have tested) be quite misleading. You can get quite different results, often in the higher direction. So you should not go to the emergency room even if it shows 42 degrees, but then I would take a regular thermometer and double check the fever temperature with one that is more reliable before you seek emergency care for your child. Answer yes, it has happened haha.

Otherwise, an ear thermometer is preferable, they used it on the pediatric emergency room as well. It goes fast too, even if it is not quite as smooth as the forehead. But everything is difficult if the child refuses to sit still.

Recover faster after fever (tip 2)

Some people do not advocate antipyretics because the body has a fever and chills for a reason. That it heals better then. I know nothing about it, that's for sure! But it's hard to resist because it is so effectively.

In addition, antipyretic tablets help me to both drink, get something to eat and above all to sleep! I can not fall asleep when I have chills and high fever. I'm completely exhausted and my brain is spinning, but I'm not falling asleep.

Så det handlar inte bara om att “må bättre för stunden” utan att inte bli allt för sliten under tiden. Då blir återhämtningstiden mycket snabbare sen när man börjar bli frisk, eftersom kroppen inte har brist på både vätska, näring och sömn samtidigt.

However, you should not eat for much rather. If you have a lot of food in your stomach, your body is busy digesting the food. Now you need to focus on getting nutrients through foods that are easy to eat. Without antipyretic tablets, I do not get anything in me, not a drop, but when the tablets have their cock, I take care. Miska usually cooks different vegetable soups, spinach soup or makes salads for me then.

That I have such a nice boyfriend who makes his own juice with i.a. carrot, lemon, mint and probiotics to me when I'm sick ♥ He's really the best person. Lots of nutrition and easily digested, so I try to think!

Antipyretic tablets, mix Alvedon and Ipren (Tip 3)

There are many different antipyretic tablets to choose from. Certainly different schools about what is best as well. These tips are based entirely on my personal preferences:

Paracetamol and Ibuprofen can be mixed. In other words, you get to mix e.g. Alvedon and Ipren. Mixing these is the most effective I think, an Alvedon and an Ipren give more effect than two Alvedon.

Note this is just my experience. But I googled now and actually found an article from Janusinfo Stockholm Region med “kommersiellt obunden läkemedelsinformation riktad till läkare och sjukvårdspersonal”. Där presenterar de en jämförelse av receptfria läkemedel, resultatet blev att en kombination av paracetamol och ibuprofen ger bäst smärtlindring. Så jag är inte helt ute och cyklar ;) Jag recenserar inte bara skönhetsprodukter utan tabletter också, haha.

Two Alvedon and one Ipren are the best. If I take it at the same time, I feel almost frisk efter 1,5 timme. Det “farliga” med detta är att man kan utföra saker som kroppen egentligen inte orkar, så det är viktigt att ta det lugnt och vila ändå. Om du utan febernedsättande inte ens kan stå raklång, då ska du inte göra någonting fysiskt bara för att du ätit febernedsättande.

I also say this based on my own experience. In the beginning, when I had these periods of fever, I completely ignored it. I nibbled on tablets and then drove wheelbarrows with firewood until my lungs burned. Ugh it's not healthy. Maybe that's why my throat infections in the end could not heal themselves :(

When you have to be strong, despite a fever

I have to work at the same time as I am sick, because I am sick so often so it is not like an alternative to be free every time. I've learned to live with it! Then two Alvedon and one Ipren are the rescue! Note: I then work from home and sit in front of the computer all the time. So physically, it's no more strenuous than watching a movie.

There are also those who have children who are ill at the same time and just have to be strong. To you I just say: two Alvedon and one Ipren at the same time, you will not regret it.

What time should I take antipyretics?

Tänk på tiderna! Du får ta mer Alvedon och Ipren efter 4-6 timmar. Men du får inte ta mer än två alvedon på 6 timmar och inte mer än 3 Ipren per dygn. Jag brukar tänka “2 Alvedon var 6:e timme, 1 Ipren var 8:e timme”

If I have something important planned (eg a video meeting) then I time so that I take two Alvedon and an Ipren at the same time about 1.5 - 2 hours before the meeting.

But otherwise I usually spread it out so that I am never completely tablet-free. For example like this:

Kl. 7.00 Ipren
Kl. 11.00 Alvedon
Kl. 15.00 Ipren
Kl. 17.00 Alvedon
Kl. 23.00 Ipren
Kl. 04.00 Alvedon

However, this is when I have a real fever. If I have a mild fever instead, I take tablets if necessary. For example. an Alvedon 3-4 times in one day only, nothing more. You should not eat unnecessarily.

I must also emphasize that when I talk about Alvedon in numbers, I am talking about the small size 500 mg. If you have 1000 mg tablets, you can only take one tablet every 6 hours.

Maxdos Alvedon: Maximum 8 tablets per day (recommended 1-2 tablets every 4-6 hours)
Maxdos Ipren: Maximum 3 tablets per day (every 8 hours if you want to spread it out over a day).

3 tips to sleep better when you have a fever (tips 4, 5 & 6)

What are the problems when going to sleep? 1. frossa. 2. you do not fall asleep 3. night sweats.

1. Tablet planning

Plan your antipyretic tablets så att du tar det ungefär en timme innan du ska sova. Om det egentligen är “dags” att ta tablett tidigare så brukar jag hellre stå ut och vänta lite längre, så att jag fyllt på lagom till natten.

Why? It is good for several reasons. On the one hand, you get chills when the fever increases, but as soon as the tablets start to work, you get hot instead. Falling asleep with chills is next to impossible, you become so cold even though you are very hot. For me who hates freezing, chills are extremely difficult.

It also helps you fall asleep. I do not know if everyone has that problem, but I can not fall asleep when I have a high fever. If I fall asleep, I sleep very badly. Almost like I'm just half asleep. But after reducing fever, I fall asleep like a log.

2. Sleep in terry cloth

Sleep in a terry bathrobe! This is the best ever. If you do not own one and your fever is a one-time occurrence, then you can put a large towel on the sheet and have a large towel between you and the blanket. But nothing beats a terrycloth bathrobe, that you are completely wrapped in terrycloth, even your arms.

När jag har frossa så svettas jag ingenting, men när febertemperaturen och feberfrossan går ner tack vare tabletter så känner kroppen “oj vad varm jag är” och sen vaknar på natten och är helt blöt av svett. Jag menar inte bara lite fuktig, utan som att någon duschat mig i sömnen. Att vakna sen när “värmeböljan” är över, med då kalla och superblöta (!) sängkläder. Alltså det är HEMSKT. Usch. Förbered med frotté! Skulle du inte svettas så är det inte värre än så, men om du febersvettas som mig då är det guld värt för att kunna sova natten ut.

3. Water and antipyretic tablets next to the bed

Prepare tablets and a glass of water next to the bed. Partly in case you get thirsty. But mainly because if you have a high fever, the antipyretic tablets for a whole night are not enough. I then wake up around 4 o'clock with chills again. Do you know what's awful when you have chills and throbbing headaches at the same time? To take off the blanket and stand up to go to the kitchen!

Top up with antipyretics so that you feel a little better and do not have any chills, just in time until you wake up in the morning. It's about timing :)

Here I am after a night with a terry bathrobe and a 39 degree fever. I felt shit but thanks to my permanent makeup tattoos, I still look pretty alert (?) Haha.

Fever (tip 7)

Feberfrossa innebär att du fryser jättemycket fast du är jättevarm. Du har frossa medan febern stiger, jag upplever att den går över när febern nått sin topp. Det minns jag att mamma sa när man va liten “du fryser när febern går upp, och svettas när febern går ner”.

Since I have had contact with the care regarding this, they want to know how high a fever I get every time. Then of course I let all the antipyretic tablets go out of the system first before I take the temperature. How do I know when the fever has reached its peak and will not rise again? Well, because the chills are starting to subside.

So, to get rid of the chills, you can either take antipyretic tablets, or wait until the fever stops rising.

Meanwhile, the heating mattress is my best! Had I had a bathtub, I probably would have actually gone to bed there. When you freeze so much that you just shake as well.

And warm your hands in the sink! When I have a fever, I am still very hot around the body, even though I am freezing. However, my hands and feet get really cold. Ice cubes!

It's like the body shuts off the blood circulation in the limbs to prioritize the other organs (?) Haha, it may not work that way but it feels that way. Then I usually fill the sink with hot water and warm my hands.

Before they get the heat up completely, they always look like this:

Half red and half blue haha. Poor little fingers :)

You can also have chills without fever, then my tips on heating mattress and hand bath also work of course.

Detta inlägg är nog bra även om man tar hand om ett febrigt barn. Så att man har mer förståelse. T.ex. var jag en gång med och tog hand om ett barn med feber, hon hade tidigare haft frossa men ville nu ta av sig tröjan och mamman sa “nej du måste ha den på dig, det är kallt och du är sjuk”. Så frågade jag “när gav du Alvedon?” vilket var 1,5 timme tidigare. Då kunde jag förklara att hon säkert känner sig supervarm nu när Alvedonen värkat ordentligt. Jag som vet hur det känns när svett-vallningarna efter Alvedonen kommer, haha. Så fick hon ta av sig tröjan och blev nöjd direkt :)

As I said, this post is my own tips on fever. You can read more about fever and advice on 1177.

Hope my fever tips can help someone more! Maybe someone who slipped in here via a Google search or so :) Feel free to look around the rest of the blog also in such cases, I do not blog so much about health really but mainly about makeup, entrepreneurship and a little private too ♥

Hugs are!

Also read: Vitamin C - Supplements, Serum & Food