The holes in healthcare: The importance of fever

With "flu season" on the way, the topic of fevers often comes up. We have been taught to fear fever, but this need not be the case. In fact reducing fever can be detrimental, and recent mainstream health resources back this. When you read between the lines and think critically and logically, it even appears that reducing fevers could be the cause of complications from disease!!

From the National Library of Medicine:

• Fever is the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to some disease or illness.
• Fever is an important part of the body's defence against infection. 
• Most bacteria and viruses that cause infections in people thrive best at 98.6°F. 
• Many infants and children develop high fevers with minor viral illnesses. 
• Although a fever signals that a battle might be going on in the body, the fever is fighting for the person, not against.]
• Brain damage from a fever generally will not occur unless the fever is over 107.6°F
• Untreated fevers caused by infection will seldom go over 105°F unless the child is overdressed or trapped in a hot place
• Almost any infection can cause a fever.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003090.htm

To sum up the above in less words: Fever is a normal and important part of the body's defence against infection from bacteria and viruses. Fever must be allowed to occur at levels above 98.7°F to be sufficient in battling bacteria and viruses, and fevers even up 105°F - 107°F degrees generally still do not cause brain damage.

And not only does the fever kill bacteria and virus, research is also showing it actually helps to activate parts of the immune system that are capable of destroying infected cells!

"Recent studies have begun to support the notion that elevated body temperature helps certain types of immune cells to work better."... "To test this, researchers injected two groups of mice with an antigen, and examined the activation of T-cells following the interaction with antigen presenting cells. Body temperature in half of the mice was raised by 2 degrees centigrade, while the other half maintained a normal core body temperature. In the warmed mice, results showed a greater number of the type of CD8 T-cells capable of destroying infected cells" http://www.worldhealth.net/news/fever-plays-key-role-fighting-infection/

Back in the day (1948) they had no idea of the importance of fever: "The significance of fever is not sufficiently appreciated today." (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1933808/pdf/bullnyacadmed00550-0069.pdf) 

At a time when disease prevalence was skyrocketing, so was the research and use of analgesics for reducing fever. http://www.tylenolliverdamages.com/timeline.html. Puts a new spin on why people were dying of basic diseases too doesn't it? Diseases such as measles, mumps, polio even? Of course if these viruses are allowed to persist, they will cause more damage, become aseptic and cause meningitis!!

Now we know: "Usually a fever goes away within a few days. A number of over-the-counter medications lower a fever, but sometimes it's better left untreated. Fever seems to play a key role in helping your body fight off a number of infections." http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fever/DS00077 (2011)

"... having a fever is part of an effective immune response. We had previously thought that the microbes that infect us simply can't replicate as well when we have fevers, but this new work also suggests that the immune system might be temporarily enhanced functionally when our temperatures rise with fever. Although very high body temperatures are dangerous and should be controlled, this study shows that we may need to reconsider how and when we treat most mild fevers." http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/news/2011/11/fever-plays-vital-role-in-immune-response.aspx (2011)

I could go on and on, but I think the point is fevers are ok, good even, and should be allowed to occur. We need only be concerned when fevers reach such high levels that they begin to affect cognitive function (lethargy), and in those time there are still ways to reduce fever naturally (being outside, cool clothes, cool baths, etc).