Fever Myths

Fever Myths: Here’s What You Need to Know

FEVER

If I have it, does it mean I am sick? If I do not treat it, will it keep going higher?

I am back! The Myth Buster!

If someone has fever, it SHOULD be treated (not necessarily right away), and concern over a fever has factors to consider such as, the degree of temperature and the person’s age. Normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius).

Here is the eye opener, THE YOUNGER THE PERSON IS, THE HIGHER THE FEVER CAN EXIST WITH SAFETY. That is right, it is the opposite opinion of most physicians. After all I am the myth buster. As a primary health care practitioner for over 35 years, I use 103.5 as the cut-off to shift from using natural means of support (supplements and home care methods) to a less conservative approach of Over The Counter fever reducers/anti-inflammatory medicine (Tylenol, Midol, Advil, Aleve). If the fever continues to escalate with or without febrile seizures or difficulty breathing, an allopathic approach is required with a visit to the nearest hospital Emergency Room (ER).

So… why would the body have fever, what is the purpose? Before I give you the answer, let me ask you another question. Did you ever try to sterilize a baby bottle with cold water? NO! Of course not. Why do we use a flame on tweezers before removing a splinter, why does a self-cleaning oven heat up? I think you get the idea. HEAT KILLS GERMS. That is one of the reasons we cook our meat, fish etc. We all know the potential dangers of eating raw meat or fish.

When a person has a compromised immune system, and there are many reasons for that, they are susceptible and can host an infection if exposed. That is the reason we focus on our patients’ immune system status, not the invisible world of germs which we normally breathe in all day, every day from the moment we are born. The body is created to recognize various organisms and adapt by developing anti-bodies & go through epigenetic changes to adapt and help us continue a path of wellness.

The amazing human body is using this exact same method to heal. By heating up the bloodstream (systemic circulation), your blood will return to a sterile solution. There are areas of the body that are supposed to have germs like the digestive tract (microbiome), but the blood must be sterile. Therefore, if you treat a fever with a pharmaceutical approach too soon, you may be losing out on the benefits a fever offers your body.

If you are not uncomfortable or in pain, there are natural things you can do to make the fever more effective, like chiropractic adjustments, alcohol rub, cool towel rub and supplements. Sometimes the fever goes up a degree or two, but that will sterilize the blood faster and the fever will usually resolve on its own within a day or two.

Should I feed a fever or starve a fever? When a person is experiencing fever, their body is prioritizing an immune response and cannot digest food as usual. We recommend eating light to keep some nutrient intake going but nothing heavy that would put a strain on the gastro-intestinal system. Some examples of easy to digest foods are; cooked fruit (pears, baked apple, compote), scrambled eggs or soup broth.

Sometimes fever is accompanied with diarrhea and or vomiting. I ask everyone the same question. Do you feel better before or after you have diarrhea or vomiting? Of course, better after, almost instantly, so why try to stop it? The body is smart, give it a chance.

What about high fever and brain damage?

As sited in https://medlineplus.gov/:

Brain damage from a fever generally will not occur unless the fever is over 107.6°F (42°C). Untreated fevers caused by infection will seldom go over 105°F (40.6°C) unless the child is overdressed or in a hot place. Febrile seizures do occur in some children. Aug 5, 2018

Febrile seizures do occur in some children. Most febrile seizures are over quickly and do not mean your child has epilepsy. These seizures also do not cause any permanent harm.

Leggett JE. Approach to fever or suspected infection in the normal host. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 25th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2016:chap 280.

Nield LS, Kamat D. Fever. In: Kliegman RM, Stanton BF, St. Geme JW, Schor NF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 20th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2016:chap 176.

Section on Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics; Committee on Drugs, Sullivan JE, Farrar HC. Fever and antipyretic use in children. Pediatrics. 2011;127(3):580-587. PMID: 21357332 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21357332.

Why do teething babies get fever with NO infection present? The answer to this is another chance to be amazed at Hashem’s creation. The reason is because as a tooth is cutting through the gum tissue which is rich in blood supply and in a germ infested area “the mouth” the body with it’s unmistakable wisdom will turn up the oven in order to try and prevent an infection. There is no infection but there is fever (keeping a sterile environment). That is a good thing!

What society has been programmed to do is immediately administer fever reducing medicine. This usually leads to more ear infections that could have been avoided. With ear infections comes prescriptions of antibiotics which are immunosuppressive and have side effects such as candidiasis (systemic yeast infection) and round and round we go. Unfortunately, some children get so compromised that they require the surgical insertion of ear tubes. This creates scar tissue on the tympanic membrane (ear drum) which may affect hearing later in life.

I hope after reading this article you think about fever differently and will consider a more conservative approach to a condition that is usually more helpful than people realize. 

If you would like to obtain the patient handout for home care with children experiencing fever that we offer at our office feel free to email your request to getwell@forsterhealthcare.com. If you have any questions or concerns and would like my opinion, reach out to: getwell@forsterhealthcare.com or call 917-572-1030.