Written by : Dr Chiu Cheung Shing

There are some “folk wisdoms” about dealing with fever, and the most commonly heard one is that if you are “baked in sweat” when you have a fever, you will naturally get better. However, is there any medical basis and effectiveness for this saying?

In fact, sweating will never cure any disease, and there is no medical basis for this claim. Although some children can get rid of fever after “being baked in  sweat”, 4 out of 100 children may have higher body temperature and cramps due to “be baked in sweat”, and even if the fever goes down, the disease is not cured.

What are the effective ways to dissipate heat?

There are several ways to dissipate heat are very effective. The first method is based on Physic principles, such as not letting the child wear too much clothes to help dissipate the heat. The second method is to bathe your child in warm or lukewarm water. In addition, your child can be given oral antipyretics as directed by your doctor. When your child has a high fever and vomits badly, some anal plugs can also be used to reduce fever.