A fever with colds is a common phenomenon that adult patients often face. Not everyone knows what can be taken during the cold season, and how to choose antipyretic drugs.
Increased temperature - when to shoot down?
Increased body temperature indicates the active work of the immune system. With colds, the temperature does not rise, so if there is a fever, it is the flu.
Slight increase in temperature to 37.50 may indicate inflammation. It is not necessary to bring down the heat.
Light heat is up to 38.50. This temperature is not necessary to churn. With the flu, the body independently fights the virus precisely by increasing the temperature. When a virus enters, the body begins to actively deal with it, releasing a special substance - interferon.
The rate of synthesis of this protein increases at body temperature above 380. Taking antipyretic pills with a slight increase in body temperature, the patient is injurious to his health.
In this case, the body will need more time to get rid of the virus, which means the disease will last longer.
Fever in adults requires treatment in two cases:
- if the thermometer reads above 390;
- If the high temperature persists for more than 4-5 days.
In all other cases, it is recommended to do without taking antipyretic drugs.
To improve well-being and to help the body suppress the virus faster with a moderate fever helps to drink plenty of water and rest.
Paracetamol with heat
The simplest antipyretic drug, which certainly will be in the first-aid kit for everyone - is paracetamol. This drug is also an analgesic, and helps to quickly arrest moderate pain.
The drug is available in various dosages and forms:
- pills;
- capsules;
- rectal suppositories;
- syrups for children.
In what form to take the drug - it is absolutely unimportant. The main thing to carefully study the instructions or packaging of the drug to determine the dosage.
The maximum daily dose for an adult patient should not exceed 3-4 g, depending on body weight and age.
How many paracetamol tablets to drink at an adult temperature? In general, 1 g of the drug is allowed at a time. So, if the medicine is in capsules and tablets of 500 mg, you can take two capsules to bring the temperature down. Typically, the fever goes away 30-45 minutes after taking the drug.
If you take the drug in syrup, you should find out how many milligrams of the active substance is contained in one milliliter of syrup, and based on these data, take the required amount of medication.
The fastest way to bring the temperature down is to use rectal suppositories with paracetamol. This form of release repeatedly increases the rate of absorption of the active substance, and therefore the effect is achieved faster.
It is important to remember that the drug has a hepatotoxic property; therefore, it is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol during treatment, otherwise acute alcohol intoxication may develop.
List of antipyretic drugs
Consider what other pills for temperature can be taken by adults. All antipyretic drugs are based on one of four active ingredients:
- paracetamol;
- nimesulide;
- aspirin;
- ibuprofen.
Popular paracetamol-based drugs are Panadol and Efferalgan. It should be noted that the cost of these drugs is much higher than the price of paracetamol tablets.
A distinctive feature of the drug Efferalgan is the release form - effervescent tablets. These tablets dissolve in water before taking, due to which act very quickly.
With the flu, you can also take paracetamol-based combination medications - these are all kinds of powders for making a warm drink (Wicks, Coldrex, TeraFlu). Paracetamol, vitamin C and flavorings are present in these medicines.
Due to the fact that the powder is diluted in warm water, the active substances are quickly absorbed into the blood, so the severity of symptoms of cold and flu decreases 20 minutes after taking the medicine.
Drugs with nimesulide in the composition have a pronounced antipyretic effect and effectively reduce pain. Such drugs can be recommended to patients whose fever is accompanied by severe headache and muscle pain.
200 mg of nimesulide is allowed per day. The most popular drugs are Nimesil and Affidah Fort. These drugs belong to the group of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and are available in powder form for the preparation of a drink.
The powder is dissolved in a glass of warm water. As a rule, a sachet of medication contains 100 mg of the active substance; you can take the medicine twice a day.
After paracetamol, aspirin ranks second in popularity. At a temperature in adults, it permits the administration of 1 g of aspirin per day. Acetylsalicylic acid allows you to quickly reduce symptoms, but has several contraindications, so the medicine should be used with caution.
Another popular group of drugs used to relieve fever is ibuprofen-based drugs. This substance belongs to the group of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, has analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, and also fights fever.
What pills with ibuprofen can reduce high fever in an adult? The most popular drug used to treat both adults and children is Nurofen. The drug is available in various forms (not only pills, but also capsules, syrup) and dosages.
Home remedies for heat
An adult patient with a strong immunity is not recommended to beat the temperature at its first appearance. It is necessary to take drugs in the event that the fever persists for several days. Before that, it is better to try to get rid of the fever by home remedies.
So, how to bring down the temperature without pills to an adult:
- The first remedy for heat is liquid in large quantities. Increasing the temperature is always accompanied by dehydration, so you should drink a lot. In order not to burden the body, preference should be given to plain water or not strong warm tea. At high temperatures it is not recommended to drink tea with ginger or cinnamon, as these spices can provoke an even higher temperature rise;
- Improve well-being and bring down the temperature allow cool compresses. It is necessary to moisten several towels in cool water and apply to the forehead, temples and pulse points on the wrists. Compresses are changed every 15 minutes;
- One of the popular folk methods is saline. In a glass of warm water should dissolve two small spoons of regular table salt and drink in one gulp. This tool increases urination, which allows to bring down the temperature. A home remedy is strictly forbidden to take with hypertension, atherosclerosis and a number of pathologies of the cardiovascular system. Before using saline solution, it is recommended to consult a doctor.
Home treatment cannot be abused. If there is no relief after two days, or instead of lowering the temperature, an increase in temperature is noted, it is necessary to take the antipyretic drug, or to call medical assistance at home (if the temperature has risen above 400).
What not to do in the heat?
Despite the fact that the temperature increase during the flu is a common symptom, many adult patients make some mistakes that lead to a deterioration in their health.
Experts warn: in case of heat, in no case should vasodilators and warming agents of local action be taken. From mustard plaster must be abandoned.
As long as the fever is high, caffeine, alcohol and raspberry are banned. You can not apply the warming ointment, and from spices such as ginger, pepper and cinnamon, you should refrain.
In heat, intense perspiration is noted. When the sweat evaporates, the skin cools, which brings relief. Many make the mistake of wrapping themselves in a blanket even with a slight increase in temperature.
Despite the chills, which happens with fever, the patient should be dressed for the weather, wrap up in sweaters and blankets should not be.
A popular folk method at a temperature is rubbing the skin with alcohol. Experts warn about the dangers of such treatment and health hazards, especially for older patients.
Rubbing the skin with alcohol really effectively lowers the temperature, but it happens too quickly, which increases the load on the cardiovascular system and can have negative health effects.
The best remedy for the treatment of flu and fever is special antiviral drugs that do not have the antipyretic effect, but they fight directly against the cause of the disease. It should be understood that fever is not an independent disease, but a symptom of a viral disease.
Any drugs have contraindications, and antipyretic tablets are no exception. Before starting treatment, be sure to read the instructions for use.
A little more additional information on how to correct the temperature is in the next video.
