Should I Stifle a Fever?
Dr. Richter has a Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine (ND), and a Bachelor’s degree in Herbal Sciences from Bastyr University, the leading institution in Natural Medicine. Dr. Richter is currently the Vice President for the Washington Association of Naturopathic Physicians, formerly the Treasurer, and sits as the chair of... more
By Teresa Richter, ND
We’ve all been there, stuck in bed, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, body aches, shivering, feeling like death warmed over. Your first inclination may be to take something to bring your fever down. We have all been taught since childhood, if you have a fever, take something to bring it down. This may actually be doing more harm than letting the fever be.
When our body has a fever, it is our immune system responding to a pathogen, in most cases. A pathogen is something that makes you sick such as bacteria, viruses, or other micro-organisms that can cause disease. When you get infected with a pathogen, it is a good thing for your body to develop a fever. By mounting this fever response, your body is setting off a series of mechanisms to make sure the body’s immune system takes effective action against those pathogens. Taking something to bring down a fever could interfere with those mechanisms that could in turn interfere with your body’s ability to fight off the cold, flu, or other pathogens that are infecting it.
A fever is characterized by a body temperature of 100.4 and above. A fever on its own is harmless and an indication that your body is fighting something, An infection such as the flu is the most common cause of fever. There are some non-infectious reasons for getting a fever such as ovulation, vaccines, and some inflammatory conditions. The main problem with having a fever is that it makes you feel so bad.
Some common symptoms of fever often include:
- sweat
- shiver (chills)
- have a headache
- have achy muscles
- do not want to eat
- break out in a rash
- be restless
- feel weak
A very high fever can cause confusion, extreme sleepiness, irritability, and seizures. There are times that a fever can become dangerous and does need to be treated. This would be if your fever reaches 103 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the time to call your doctor.
If your fever is below 104 degrees Fahrenheit and you can manage the body achy, chills, sweating, it is much better for your body to try and ride it out. This will allow your body to fight the pathogen much more effectively. Certainly, it can get to the point where you just can’t take the symptoms of the fever anymore. This would be the appropriate time to treat the fever temporarily and then to allow it to come back again for as long as you can stand it.
If you need to treat a fever, the following steps may help you to feel better:
- Drink plenty of fluids to help cool your body and prevent dehydration
- Eat light foods that are easy to digest
- Get plenty of rest
- Take ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, or others), naproxen, (Aleve, Naprosyn, or others), acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), or aspirin to help relieve head and body aches and lower your temperature
- Take a slightly warm, not cool, bath, or apply damp washcloths to the forehead and wrists
- Dress lightly (even if you have chills)
It is also helpful if you are sick and not mounting a fever, to give yourself and “artificial” fever. This is done by raising your body temperature. You can take a hot bath, bundle up, drink hot tea, sit in a sauna. There are a few different ways to increase your body temperature to simulate having a fever to help your body fight a pathogen. Most pathogens are very comfortable at our normal body temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. When we mount a fever or increase our body temperature it makes the living conditions for them much less favorable.
In conclusion, allowing your body to have a fever unless it goes too high or becomes too uncomfortable can have a lot of benefits to fighting an illness. If a fever goes above 103 degrees Fahrenheit, please contact your doctor.
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