An article written by Dr. Mohammad Abbass, consultant Pediatrician
We notice many wrong and sometimes harmful habits Parents may use it due to lack of knowledge when using compresses to reduce a child’s temperature, and here I will explain the correct ways to use compresses to reduce a child’s temperature.
First , it must be emphasized that the temperature of the water used in the compresses is moderate, so that if we put our hand in the water we do not feel cold or hot, as the temperature is approximately between 30 – 33 C, and certainly we should not use ice water at all.
Secondly, where to put compresses, the best places are around the neck, forearms, under the armpits, and between the thighs. They can be placed on the forehead, but using compresses on the forehead only gives relief from the headache and pain associated with fever, but their effect on reducing the temperature is limited, so we should not be satisfied with applying compresses only on the forehead.
The issue of using vinegar or alcohol in compresses
Vinegar is a vasodilator, so it may cause heat to transfer more quickly through the skin and reduce the temperature, but using it extensively over a wide area of the body has harmful toxic effects on the body , therefore. It is recommended not to use it, but some insist on using it, and here I advise against using it concentrated, as only one teaspoon of vinegar can be added to every two liters of water for compresses. This certainly reduces the vasodilation property , but we avoid its toxicity .
For alcohol. Alcohol works quickly to cool the skin through evaporation, but using it with compresses on a large area of the skin leads to alcohol poisoning as a result of its absorption from the skin and leads to significant health damage. Therefore, it is also not recommended to use it at all, and if we add it to water , it loses its rapid evaporation property and loses its function, and only its toxicity remains . Therefore, we never use alcohol.