Many parents encounter a situation where the child has a high fever and cold extremities. What to do in this case? An increase in temperature in a child is a natural reaction of the body to an irritant in the form of an infection or bacteria.
Antipyretics should not be used immediately. It is necessary to give the body the opportunity to cope with the disease on its own. As a result, stronger immunity will be developed, which will minimize the susceptibility to diseases in the future.
What to do when a child has a high fever and cold hands?
But the above should be observed only if the fever is not accompanied by cooling of the hands and feet. If such symptoms are present, other methods must be used.
Causes of fever in a child
The temperature is not caused by the disease, but by the hypothalamus, a part of the brain. It commands the temperature to increase to kill bacteria, this happens when interferon is produced.
If fever does not appear, interferon is not produced. The same thing happens when the temperature is deliberately brought down with medicine. This leads to immune system disorders. The body is able to raise the temperature to the desired level and lower it when the bacteria are destroyed.
Usually indicates that the child’s body is struggling with congestion.
Causes of cold hands
One of the reasons for cold hands, in addition to infection, is considered to be overheating - when the child is wrapped up too tightly. This effect is observed in the following cases:
- prolonged exposure to the sun;
- wrapping;
- too hot room.
It is then that the heat rises and the hands remain cold. Sometimes my nose bleeds, I feel dizzy and nauseous. These signs indicate that vasospasm is occurring. It turns out that there is not enough blood flowing to the hands. Then it is urgent to make sure that the baby does not overheat, give him liquids in large volumes.
Fever has dangerous consequences - it creates extra stress on the heart and lungs, speeds up metabolism, and disrupts the functioning of the nervous system. This situation is especially dangerous for infants and children under one year of age.
Causes of cold feet
The cause of cold feet at high temperatures is white (or pale) fever. In this condition, the following symptoms are observed:
- shortness of breath and chills;
- pulse exceeds normal;
- the child is delirious;
- pale and dry skin;
- cold extremities at general temperature.
It is delirium tremens that causes cold extremities. Why does this happen at high temperatures?
In a normal state, blood flows evenly through the vascular system, but when white fever begins and the heat rises, blood rushes to the internal organs in greater quantities, and at the same time the vessels in the legs and arms spasm, preventing blood flow to them . It turns out that the hands and feet remain cold.
Cold extremities in a child at a temperature indicate the presence of vasospasm
Clinical manifestations
Hyperthermia manifests itself in different ways:
- in the form of red fever - pink cover, moist skin, but the baby feels relatively well;
- white (pale) fever - the hands and feet become cold, but the body itself becomes hot. I am worried about chills, the skin turns pale, the condition is quite serious.
Why does a child have cold hands and feet when he has a fever: the opinion of Dr. Komarovsky
Dr. E. O. Komarovsky believes that if cold feet at a child’s temperature are the only sign of a cold, nothing should be done. In this case, this is a natural reaction of blood vessels to heat. They are compressed to prevent plasma from escaping into the interstitial space. In this case, in each individual case, changes in blood circulation may occur.
The disease without symptoms can be observed in infants who react acutely to changes in temperature and humidity in the environment. In them, an increase in body temperature against the background of cold feet and hands causes sunstroke or constant exposure to a stuffy space.
The main thing is to determine what color your skin is. If it is simply cold, then nothing is recommended. The pathological process is indicated only by blueness and pallor of the epithelial tissue. Cool but pink hands and feet are not a reason to panic or worry. When they turn blue, call emergency services immediately.
An asymptomatic course is characteristic of many infectious and inflammatory diseases. In most cases, this only causes a high temperature. Other signs of a cold or other pathology appear within 24 hours. In this case, a lightning-fast reaction is possible:
- hands and feet turn blue;
- facial skin turns pale;
- the child suddenly faints;
- muscle weakness is observed, all vigor and activity are suddenly lost;
- pressure decreases.
If this is not the case, you can use classical methods of combating viral and bacterial infections. It is allowed to dress the child in everything warm, cover him with a blanket, provide him with access to fresh cool air and plenty of fluids. If parents have given an antipyretic drug, you should not force them to eat food.
Additional symptoms
Hyperthermia is sometimes accompanied by the following symptoms:
Marbled leather
A network of vessels. This is not a disease, but a vascular reaction to an irritant. It occurs more often in infants under six months of age. If the child is older and this phenomenon bothers him, he should consult a doctor.
Diarrhea and vomiting
Signal of intestinal disease. Vomiting also occurs during heat stroke; in this case, there is general dehydration in the body, and there may be blood in the stool.
Headache
More often it warns of ARVI, but tumor development processes are also possible. When the heat rises, blood flow increases, which increases the pressure inside the skull, causing headaches.
Acute respiratory infections or acute respiratory viral infections often cause hyperthermia and are dangerous for complications, especially in toddlers
Hot body but cool head
This is how the fever begins. The forehead is cold, but the body and part of the head are hot. In this state, a state of almost fainting may occur, sometimes accompanied by delusions and hallucinations. Don't hesitate, call an ambulance.
What to do if you have a chill
If you experience severe chills and the temperature exceeds 38 degrees, call an ambulance.
Forbidden:
- rub the body with alcohol or vinegar;
- wrap up;
- give aspirin;
- apply cold compresses to the entire body, only to the forehead. The towel should be cool.
Necessary:
- Create a temperature in the room no higher than 20 degrees.
- Rub your baby's legs and arms with your own hands.
- Give your baby plenty of fluids to drink.
- To relieve spasm, give the child No-Shpu, Drotaverine or use Papaverine suppositories. Next, give an antihistamine - Zyrtec, Suprastin, etc. They will enhance the effect of drugs that relieve spasms.
- When the limbs turn pink, blood circulation has been restored and the fever can be reduced. Use paracetamol-based medications.
- If the condition does not improve, take the child to the hospital.
How to give medicine correctly
If a child has cold feet and hands, and the temperature is above 39o, it means that it is rapidly rising. Rectal suppositories are not suitable in this situation, since the active substance is absorbed very slowly through the intestinal walls. Suppositories are an excellent form of medication “at night” when there is concern that the temperature will rise during sleep, but not in the situation described.
Cold hands and feet in a child with a high temperature are a reason to take an antipyretic drug orally. Choose drugs based on paracetamol or ibuprofen. In this state, the baby may vomit from the sweet syrup. Therefore, give it a little at a time, diluting it with water or injecting 1 ml per cheek from the attached dispenser syringe.
NB Exceeding the recommended dose will not lead to better results. This is a dangerous practice, do not experiment with children's health!
In the described condition, doctors recommend giving the patient a drug to relieve spasms. Usually this is No-Shpa. You can calculate its quantity by weight. Usually a two-year-old child is given no more than half a tablet. It is quite difficult to swallow it in this state. Crush the required part of the tablet into powder (for example, with the wide side of a knife), mix with a small amount of honey and water, draw the resulting mixture into a measuring syringe or teaspoon and give to the child.
What to do if there is no result after taking an antipyretic
It happens that more than an hour has passed since the last dose of the usual Panadol or Nurofen, but no more than 4 hours, and there is no improvement. The chills persist and the extremities remain cold. There is only one conclusion: the drug was not effective enough. This is a clear sign of the need to go to the emergency room. Often, over the phone, the doctor will suggest giving the baby Analgin with No-Shpa. Oddly enough, the usual, cheapest Analgin tablets relieve fever very well in such cases. It is calculated by weight: 10 mg per 1 kg. One tablet usually contains 0.5 g, one gram contains a thousand mg. Thus, a child weighing 15 kg needs a little less than a third of an Analgin tablet. It is often also recommended to give an age-appropriate dose of Tavegil or Suprastin.
NB On average, the result of taking an antipyretic drug appears within 40-60 minutes. Do not conclude that the medicine is ineffective before this time.
You should not expect that taking an antipyretic will lower your temperature to 36.6. If, as a result of using the drugs, you see 38 - 38.5 on the thermometer, everything is fine. You cannot give the medicine more often than indicated in the instructions (no more than 5 times a day). A temperature of 38o with warm arms and legs and a calm baby is a sign that the body has activated its protective functions and is successfully fighting infection.
You cannot force feed a baby with a fever. When he gets better, he will ask for food himself. However, it is extremely important to give your child something to drink. If he categorically refuses liquids, pour water into his cheek in small doses. Monitor the volume of urine excreted.
What does a fever indicate against the background of cooling hands and feet?
This signals a failure in thermoregulation. As the temperature rises, the blood becomes thicker and circulates poorly. Cold extremities with general hyperthermia signal the onset of white fever.
White fever occurs due to viruses - influenza, ARVI. Scarlet fever, measles, whooping cough and other similar diseases also cause pale fever. Problems with the nasopharynx (pharyngitis, laryngitis, etc.) cause this condition.
The main signs of "white" fever
This problem is characterized by the following symptoms:
- cold extremities;
- pale skin - even blue lips and nails;
- the baby is shivering, and he cannot warm up even under the blanket;
- fast heart rate;
- hyperthermia to a high level;
- Sometimes severe toxicosis manifests itself - either weakness, or, conversely, severe anxiety and agitation.
If a child has a high temperature without other symptoms, then you should not interfere with the body’s fight against the disease
Why is high temperature dangerous?
Elevated temperature is dangerous due to so-called febrile convulsions; this condition most often occurs in preschool children. Everything must be done to prevent this. But if this happens, proceed like this:
- Place your baby on his side on a hard surface. Turn your head towards the floor - this way vomit will not enter the respiratory tract;
- remove dangerous objects around so that the baby does not get injured;
- Do not pour antipyretic medications into the mouth, otherwise he will choke. Use the candles;
- call an ambulance.
When to lower a child's body temperature
Most experts advise taking fever-reducing medications in the following cases:
- a completely healthy baby does not have neurological problems, metabolic disorders or diseases of the cardiovascular system, but hyperthermia reaches 39-39.5. Look at the general condition. If the child tolerates high indicators well, it’s better not to knock him down;
- children under six months of age, as well as older children with additional health problems.
If you feel unwell, the fever is brought down at 38.5 - with the axillary measurement, or 38.9 - with the rectal measurement. Only a doctor after examining the child can prescribe antispasmodics.
How can you help your child cope with this condition?
All actions are the same as at normal temperature.
Whether your hands/feet are hot or cold is the second question. There is one exception - see the paragraph “What to get from the first aid kit”.
To figure out where the temperature came from, a viral or bacterial disease - leave all this dancing with a tambourine to pediatricians. And we calmly carry out our “helping” algorithm.
First of all - regime and diet!
We work strictly according to Komarovsky! Our goal is cool (open the window or set the windows to ventilation mode) and humid (humidifier helps) air. Don't have a humidifier? We dust and wash the floors in the nursery a couple of times a day. Everything to make it pleasant for a sick child to breathe, and easy to give away the extra degrees.
At the same time, we do not turn the child into a frozen semi-finished product.
You probably can’t do without wool socks.
Give him socks, his favorite pajamas, a blanket. A precious person should be warm. Otherwise, sweat will not form, heat will not be lost, and the thermometer will not move.
To sweat effectively, a child needs a large amount of fluid.
So, we'll have something to drink. Compotes, fruit drinks, decoctions, water... We pretended to be a parrot and offered, offered, offered.
You need to drink a lot! Even if you don't want to. So that the disease goes away.
Are your kids insistently demanding dinner? Feed him, but sparingly and with light food.
Don't ask for food? Don't translate products! The child's body is busy - it is fighting the enemy and cannot waste resources on digestion. If the evil virus defeats the dragon, it will want to eat, then treat it. Don’t your wives run to the riot police on special missions with trays? Same approach here.
If you want, wipe with water at room temperature, the main thing is WITHOUT additives.
Lana (child 1 year and 3 months):
“I don’t understand anything, the temperature is high, and my hands and feet are simply cold! I give an antipyretic, I rub my limbs with vodka, they also recommended No-shpa, but it’s somehow scary.”
What to get from the first aid kit?
Look closely first at the child, then at the thermometer. If at 38.5 °C your son plays cheerfully and runs to the toilet “in a small way” no less often than usual, you can hold off on taking the pills.
If even at 37.5°C he is sluggish and passive, despite all your tea and airing manipulations, then it’s worth rummaging through the medicine drawer. Each baby is individual, so you need to focus on the condition
specific child.
And in our pharmaceutical arsenal we only have paracetamol and ibuprofen. .
Remember, for “white” fever it is better to give syrups. Suppositories, due to the same vasospasm, will not have the desired effect.
Oksana (child 2 years and 8 months):
“Nothing helped us: no rubbing, no candles, no syrups for fever. I was terribly scared. I had to call an ambulance. They gave an injection, but it also didn’t help for long. What saved us was regular aspirin.”
What if there are cramps?
Such insidiousness also happens, especially when the temperature is high 39 and there is a predisposition to this matter (i.e., convulsions have already happened before or one of the parents can remember similar episodes from their childhood).
Let's remember the basics of first aid:
- place the child in a safe place and on his side;
- Do not hold the person too tightly, only slightly fix the head so that there are no injuries;
- DO NOT PUT ANYTHING ANYWHERE!!!
- call a doctor.
All about febrile seizures - .
What medications can relieve spasms?
The spasm, which leads to chills and cold extremities, is relieved with antispasmodics. Doctors prefer to give Papaverine or No-Shpu. They affect sweating, bringing it back to normal, which helps reduce fever.
Call your family doctor, let him examine the child and make a decision on prescribing an antispasmodic. Do not give antispasmodics on your own; only a physician can prescribe them in the correct amount.
No-Shpa (Drotaverine)
It has an antispasmodic effect, but it must be used as prescribed by a doctor and in the amount that he specifies. The active substance of the antispasmodic is drotaverine. Dilates blood vessels, helping to improve blood circulation and solve the problem of cold hands and feet. Does not apply to medications that reduce fever.
The drug can cause side effects and has contraindications, so take it with caution.
Use of lytic mixture
The use of a lytic mixture for high fever and vasospasm must be prescribed and performed by a doctor
This is an intramuscular injection that relieves high fever, removes spasms, normalizes the baby’s condition, improves blood flow, helping to warm the legs and arms. The composition is mixed only by a qualified person, otherwise there is a risk of harming the child if the proportions are incorrect.
It cannot be used systematically; it becomes addictive and becomes ineffective.
Papaverine
Papaverine is used from 6 months of age. Available as tablets, suppositories, injections. For children there is a children's version of the medicine. It should be taken 20 minutes before taking antipyretics. If you do not observe the interval, vasodilation will occur later, and thermoregulation will not be restored in time.
Causes of white fever
Typically, when body temperature rises, the skin, especially on the face, becomes pink and hot. This is due to the mechanisms of thermoregulation in the human body. When excess heat is produced, the body tends to remove it. Otherwise, overheating of internal organs, protein coagulation and death occurs. Since we learned to fight fever long ago, such cases are now rather rare.
Excess heat produced is removed in two stages:
- dilation of blood vessels and an attempt to remove heat through the heated surfaces of the body;
- simultaneous cooling due to sweat secreted by evaporation from the skin.
This is how the body copes with fever on its own.
In some cases, the thermoregulation mechanism fails. The body thinks it is removing too much heat from the body when it is heated to very high temperatures. It begins to preserve it for the continuation of life. The mechanism of heat retention is the opposite of the conclusion: the blood vessels narrow, sweat stops being released. As a result, the person has a high fever and cold hands and feet.
White fever is very dangerous. Heat does not stop being produced in the body in response to the action of an infectious agent and inflammation, but it stops being released. As a result, overheating of internal organs can occur very quickly. This is especially dangerous for young children, since their thermoregulation is imperfect, and all processes in the body occur faster. That is, unpleasant consequences will occur much earlier than in adults.
Additional recommendations
It is extremely important to combine antipyretics and antispasmodics under the supervision of a physician. You cannot decide on your own which drugs to combine. Only a pediatrician can say for sure.
What happens when the ambulance arrives
It is not necessary that the baby will be taken to the hospital. Doctors often give consultations over the phone. If the ambulance team does arrive, they can simply inject the necessary injections. If the condition is truly serious, hospitalization will be suggested. But only you can give final consent or write a refusal to be hospitalized.
The ambulance does not prescribe treatment
High fever and cold extremities in a child: what Dr. Komarovsky advises
You should not give a fast-acting fever-reducing drug - it will only intensify the spasm. Avoid applying cold compresses all over your body. It is advisable to give an antispasmodic to restore blood circulation, but follow the dosage. The antispasmodic helps to dilate blood vessels, restoring blood circulation.
This solves the problem of cold hands and feet. Rub your limbs to bring blood to them. Give plenty of fluids, but not diuretics.
Be sure to call a doctor.
White fever, when there is fever and cold extremities, is caused by viruses and microorganisms. It could be a common cold, but it could also be the flu. Therefore, do not hesitate and call your family doctor at home.
