“Covering yourself with a blanket and sweating profusely can help reduce fever quickly.” This is a common misconception among the general population, but in reality, it is a big misunderstanding. Especially when taking fever-reducing medication for high fever, excessive sweating can actually hinder heat dissipation and cause the body temperature to rise even higher in a short period of time, leading to dehydration.
In addition to not using a blanket to induce sweating, it is also important to loosen your clothing to increase the surface area of contact between your body and the air, which facilitates evaporation of sweat. Unless there is a direct cold breeze, loosening your clothes is a good way to cool down.
If an adult's body temperature exceeds 38.5 degrees Celsius or if they experience discomfort such as headache and restlessness due to a cold-induced fever, it is recommended to use physical cooling methods in addition to taking fever-reducing medication, such as wiping the body with warm water or alcohol.
The choice of water temperature is important. Water that is too hot will add heat to the body, while water that is too cold will cause blood vessels to contract, both of which are not conducive to cooling down. Therefore, the ideal water temperature is close to body temperature, and the principle is to test the water with the inside of the wrist and make sure it doesn't feel too hot. Start from the top and wipe the neck, armpits, elbows, and groin.
