Patient's question:
My son is 7 months old. He started having a stuffy nose and runny nose 4 days ago. His temperature has been fluctuating, with a high of 38.5°C. He also has a rash of small red bumps on his back. I hope you can help me determine whether it's chickenpox or scarlet fever. Thank you.Doctor's answer:
Children with fever should not be rushed to use medication to reduce the temperature. Because fever is a defensive response of the human body, antipyretic drugs can generally only lower body temperature but cannot eliminate the root cause of the fever. If the body temperature does not exceed 38.5°C, it is generally not necessary to rush to reduce the fever, especially before a clear diagnosis is made. Generally speaking, when a child's body temperature is below 38.5°C, it is best to drink more water, get more rest, closely monitor changes in the condition, or use physical cooling methods to reduce the fever. However, if the fever lasts too long or the fever temperature is too high (exceeding 38.5°C), then antipyretic medication must be used for necessary treatment.