It is so hard to see your kiddos uncomfortable, and we have been experiencing that this week. Our boy got his first nasty virus of the season, actually his first virus EVER -- and his first fever this winter. We were on a holiday trip up to my hometown in Ohio, and spending some time with family, when we realized our kiddo got hit with a bug.

So what to do when your kid is fighting an infection and running warm?

The "old me" would have treated at the first sign of fever and alternated back and forth between Tylenol and Ibuprofen -- essentially until the fever was gone. My friends, that is a lot of medicine!

This past week when my son got feverish, I knew I wanted to treat (or should I say manage) it differently than I would have in the past. I ironically was reading a book by Thomas Cowen, in which he explains in detail the purpose of fever and why it is important in our design to fight infection. He says: "standard procedure is still give antipyretic (fever reducing) medicines at the first sign of a fever and to give antibiotics at the first sign of infection." He goes on to refute why that is not appropriate in most cases and why a fever is beneficial. It is an outward symptom of what the body is doing to flush an illness.

Our body uses a fever to fight an infection, so when we reduce it, our body is allowing the virus or bacteria to multiply more -- since the temp is lowered in our body. That said, I think it makes most sense to allow a fever to a certain degree.

I also believe that Tylenol should be avoided when possible, since it is a hepatotoxic drug (can be toxic to the liver) and is easy to over dose on. We no longer have Tylenol in our home, and I wrote more on Tylenol and glutathione in this blog post. I prefer Ibuprofen when needed -- which also depletes glutathione, but isn't potentially damaging to the liver.

This is my preference; everybody finds their own preferences and favorites. And although I do prefer Ibuprofen, it doesn't mean I just dish it out during their entire fever. I reserve it for when it's needed, so that I'm not constantly depleting their glutathione (which is used to rid toxins from the body). With our son, I checked his temperature every couple of hours and it consistently went down every time we checked! He started out at 102 and we got him down to 99 within 24 hours!

That said, here is what we do to manage fever in our house:

Support discomfort in simple ways: minimize clothes (lightweight clothes, no heavy jammies, etc.), cool rags and a cozy place for them to rest. With our kiddo we did lots of snuggle time, but if your child is old enough you could encourage them to do activities when they are feeling okay (paint, play games, read) and then movies and couch and cuddles when needed. They will need extra love and down time!

Tepid epsom salt baths with some Apple Cider Vinegar for detox + cooling of the body. I set the temperature so that it is warm enough to cool them but not cool enough to impact his body temp.

Vitamin D3 can modulate the innate and adaptive immune responses. Deficiency in vitamin D is associated with increased autoimmunity as well as an increased susceptibility to infection. We supplement with D3 often, but especially when sick. Since I am still currently breastfeeding, I made sure to increase my Vitamin D supplementation so it would be passed through to my son. If you have children that are not breastfeeding, you can easily add Vitamin D drops to smoothies!

Vitamin C supplementation. I use camu camu, which I add to smoothies, & liposomal Vitamin C. It has ten times the vitamin C as a small orange! This is another one I increase my supplementation with while breastfeeding, but with older kiddos you can also add to smoothies!

Minimize sugar, since it curbs the effects of the immune system cells that are fighting the bacteria or virus. For us, this doesn't mean all sugar, since yes sugar is in fruits, etc. We just try to avoid treats, etc.

Minimize dairy if there is lots of mucus going on, since it can make phlegm thicker. We use alternative milks and options made with almond milk, coconut milk, etc. Nourishing foods for when they are hungry. Yes, of course they may want plain toast, etc. As our bodies don't really have an appetite for much when fighting an illness. But try to give your kids one smoothie a day, especially when sick. In their smoothies, you can sneak in so many goodies for their bodies. You can also add turmeric + ginger root to their smoothies. As for breastfeeding, I breastfed as often as I possibly could. I actually noticed my milk supply increased when my son was starting to get sick! HOW COOL IS THE HUMAN BODY! My body knew he needed an immune boost so it started to up the supply of antibodies.

Elderberry syrup can help boost the immune system. There are multiple brands of Elderberry that I love but The Wellness Way’s Elderberry with Honeysuckle + Reishi is by far the best. This is something I supplemented with to pass through my breastmilk.

Treat when fever is 103 ... OR if the child is very uncomfortable and not like himself/herself. To me, this gives the body time to let the fever ride on, until it starts rising to the point where I am uncomfortable. At this point, I would treat with Ibuprofen. Or at the point in which your kid just isn't tolerating the fever well at all - that is another time of course you can treat. It's all up to you and what feels right. This is not medical advice, but what we do.

Allow plenty of rest + hydration. This seems obvious, but so important! When my son was fighting his fever this past week, he was taking 4 hour naps during the day, and slept through the night (he’s only 5 months old).

We also do a roller with some essential oils, which I know people have different comfort levels with. And as far as the treating with Ibuprofen -- for us, this is what makes sense -- since our son seemed to manage fine at 101, 102. But every child (and parent!) is different. This is our story and not a blanket recommendation. We honestly don't deal with this much, but this is what I did this last week (he was able to fight off the infection within 24 hours!).

Another thing to keep in mind, is that if you chronically suppress all levels of fever, you might think your child is fine and send them onto school or activities in which they would be sharing the virus or bacteria with their friends. It's important to be able to get an understanding for how the child is doing and not suppress all symptoms completely. I am not against meds, but I am for allowing the body to heal, when it can safely.

And lastly, of course, work with your trusted health care provider and contact them when there is concern or you have questions, etc. When our child was sick, we monitored his breathing (respiratory rate), energy, and so forth -- making sure he was doing okay as we managed at home. We would seek care if needed! And there are so many little things I didn't go into here, like how I co-slept with my child to be monitored throughout the night (I’m a first time mom and this was his first fever so I was definitely nervous!), and how I avoid medicines with junk in them (yes that's right!).

It all comes down to the immune system. How it was built and how strong it is to fight off these infections. This is something we work on with our patients, we build the immune response BEFORE the fever hits. If you need guidance on how to do this, schedule a free call to learn more!

But it was very basic this time around… Bath, breast, sleep, repeat.

I hope this helps. I know I've already said this before, but of course this is not targeted, personalized medical advice for you or your children. This is how we manage fever in our home. I am constantly learning and adjusting, and I'm sure my strategies will change over time, too.

Stay well my friends!