When the disease occurs, one of the signs is an increase in body temperature. Moreover, it is often the first and only sign of a particular pathology. High temperature brings discomfort, further exhausts the human body, and leads to the appearance of additional symptoms, such as fever.

At the same time, an increase in body temperature is often regarded as a sign that the body is actively responding to a pathogen or inflammation. It also often evaluates the state of immunity.

Since the temperature causes discomfort, they try to bring it down. And they make a number of mistakes when performing such manipulation. Which ones exactly, aif.ru was told by an allergist-immunologist of the highest category, head of the department of allergology and immunology of NCC No. 2, junior researcher at the Federal State Budgetary Institution Russian Scientific Center for Surgery named after. acad. B.V. Petrovsky (Central Clinical Hospital RAS) Evgenia Parshina.

Use rubdowns

Both vinegar and vodka are used. It is believed that such liquids, evaporating from the surface of the skin, seem to “draw out” the temperature, bringing relief. In fact, this is an old method, which is also called the “old-fashioned” method. Its effectiveness has long been refuted, and in itself it is quite dangerous. It is important to understand that if vinegar is diluted incorrectly, the risk of burns to the skin or mucous membranes increases, and serious poisoning of the body is also possible. It will cause symptoms such as nausea or even vomiting, pain and others. Vodka is also fraught with poisoning of the body due to its penetration through the skin into the blood. Such manipulations are especially dangerous in children.

Reduce the temperature immediately, even if it has risen slightly

An increase in body temperature can indeed be regarded as one of the first signs of the body’s fight against pathogens – viruses or bacteria. But it is important to consider that for such a protective function of the body to work, certain conditions must be met. This is sometimes called “letting it burn out” so that the body can “burn off” the pathogen. Therefore, it is not worth lowering the temperature if it is at low levels (up to 38 degrees).

However, before you make the decision to “burn out,” you definitely need to assess your own or your child’s condition. If a temperature of 38 or even higher is tolerated normally, there is no serious deterioration in the condition, there is no sensation of body aches, then you can wait. But if a person, even with a reading of 37 and slightly higher, is in poor condition, he is having a hard time, he has severe general weakness, he breaks everything, then there is no need to wait – the temperature should be brought down immediately.

Attempts to reduce to 36.6 with various antipyretics

They often try to bring the temperature down to the standard value when the temperature drops, that is, they bring it down to 36.6 degrees. But here it is important to understand that the mechanism does not work like that. If the temperature was, for example, 39 degrees, they gave an antipyretic and it dropped to 38.5 degrees. This is a normal effect of the medicine, nothing more is required from it. If you try to knock everything down and knock it down at all costs, then there is a risk of getting an overdose of drugs.

How to use antipyretics correctly?

Such drugs, despite their wide availability, should be taken only as directed and under the supervision of a physician. People often take ibuprofen and paracetamol together on their own to enhance the effect. However, in reality, by doing this they also increase the risks of overdose, and also reduce the window of opportunity for themselves to replace one drug with another further.

Also, you should not use other antipyretic drugs on your own, which may seem more effective. They risk being more toxic and will lead to unexpected effects. Drug-induced hepatitis occurs from uncontrolled use of antipyretic drugs. So you should very carefully lower the temperature so as not to overdo it and cause yourself even more harm.