Fevers- friend or foe

Fevers…

are they to be feared or are they our friends?

I strongly believe fevers are our friends! They are a sign that your body is fighting off an infection and your immune system is actually doing it’s job!

See… fevers are your body’s way to raise its temperature, so that the heat can kill off the bacteria and viruses, isn’t that just genius! Your very own body has a mechanism to heal itself! Yes my friends, for every ailment your body has a healing mechanism. We may not like said mechanism like fevers, rashes, hives, migraines, bloat but they are all symptoms of your body trying to protect and heal itself.

But back to fevers specifically… According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, AAP, “fever is not an illness, rather, it is a symptom of sickness and is usually a positive sign that the body is fighting an infection.”

When a fever is caused by the immune system, your hypothalamus will actually control the body temperature and regulate it as needed. Fever will spike if the infection is more wide spread, and subside as the irritant is being fought off.

Today, we are told to treat any and all fevers, as if that meant the illness is cured as soon as the fever is artificially eliminated. That is not the case and there is plenty of scientific evidence suggesting multiple benefits of letting fevers run it’s course.

There is also more and more research showing the harmful effects of NSAID’s we are often told to use by our trusted doctors.

Let’s talk temperature

100-102.2 is a true low-grade fever

104.5 and up is a high fever

Body temp of 108 and over is harmful if left untreated, aka seek medical attention.

Now I am not saying you should wait until your fever spikes to 108… you should seek medical attention whenever you feel you need it! We all know our bodies best and should make our own choices as to medical interventions.

What I hope you get out of this, DON’T PANIC when you spike a fever. Most fevers will resolve themselves within 24-72 hours. Maybe take that time to support your body and let the immune system do its job. Research suggests letting a fever run its course shortens the length of a cold by 2 days…

As always I encourage you to do your own research and do what feels right!