Is it okay to take a bath when you have fever and headache?
Often leaving you achy, uncomfortable, and yearning for relief, fevers and headaches are disagreeable allies. A lukewarm bath can be a seductive cure, offering a chance to wash away the discomfort and a little warmth. But when you’re feverish and headachy, is a bath really safe and beneficial?
Like most aspects of medicine, the response is: it varies. Let’s examine the specifics of how a bath could lower your temperature and headache as well as when it would be a good idea or best avoided.
The Bath’s Effects on Fever
Myth vs. Reality: Against what most people think, a bath won’t directly “break” your fever. Your body’s natural reaction to battle infection is fever. Though it won’t create a significant drop, a mild bath—around 98°F or 36.7°C—can assist somewhat lower body temperature.
Here’s the rationale for a lukewarm bath’s benefits:
Heat from your body moves to the lukewarm water you are submerging yourself in, producing a cooling effect.
Encouragement of circulation helps heat dissipation by improving blood flow close to the surface of the skin.
Relaxation: The water’s mild pressure and warmth can help one relax, which would be beneficial for controlling pain and maybe supporting sleep—both of which are vital for the recovery from fever.
Some bathing techniques, meanwhile, can actually make fever control less effective:
Hot bathings: Steer clear of hot baths since they increase your core body temperature much more.
If the bathwater is too cool, shivering—which produces heat—may result from which your temperature lowering goal is undermined.
For evaporative cooling, steer clear of rubbing alcohol. Although it may seem chilly at first, it evaporates fast and causes chills and maybe increases your temperature.
The lesson is that although a lukewarm bath can be a consoling and maybe useful approach to control a fever, it is not a cure.
How a Bath Affects Headaches
Although the method is different, a bath can also help with headaches, which frequently accompany fevers. Here’s the method:
Warm water helps stiff muscles in the neck and shoulders to relax, so helping to prevent headaches.
Enhanced blood flow can help to relieve tension headaches, much as in the management of fever.
The cozy, soothing surroundings can help one relax and hence help to lower stress-related headaches.
Notes: Several elements connected to your type of headache can affect how well a bath works:
Though some migraine sufferers find comfort in mild baths, others may find the steam or humidity aggravating.
Warm compresses placed straight on the forehead can be more helpful for sinus headaches than a complete bath.
The lesson here is Although its efficacy may vary depending on the particular type of headache, a lukewarm bath can be a good approach for controlling tension headaches following a fever.
Safety Issues: Prior to Bathing with Headache and Fever
Think on these safety issues before bathing:
Check your temperature: See a doctor before soaking in a bath if your temperature is very high—above 102°F or 38.9°C.
Listen to your body. Get out of the bath at away if you feel queasy, weak, or lightheaded.
Keep it succinct. Cut your bath time to ten to fifteen minutes to prevent chilling.
Before, during, and after your bath, sip lots of water to avoid dehydration.
Find someone close by. If you feel especially sick, have someone nearby ready in case you need help.
completely dry off. Pat yourself carefully to prevent being cold. After the bath, wear casual, loose-fitting clothes.
Alternatives to Baths to Help with Headache and Fever
Here are several ways to control heat and headaches should a bath seem inappropriate or unappealing:
Medications sold over-the-counter: See your pharmacist or doctor about safe painkillers for fever and headache relief such acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Drink lots of fluids, such as water or clear broths, to keep hydrated and encourage perspiration, therefore helping to lower body temperature.
To help with a headache, cool a compress over your forehead.
Rest: Get enough sleep so your body may heal.
See a doctor when:
Though a fever and headache are normal and usually go away on their own, visit a doctor if you have:
Over three days, fever higher than 102°F (38.9°C)
severe headache either aggravating or not getting better with medicine