Today, I decided to write about fever. Why? Because I have relatives and friends who are down with fever today, and there are so many people out there, who have been experiencing this symptom. Let me ask you guys this question. What do you usually do when you are down with a fever? Go see a doctor or swallow a paracetamol or aspirin?
Fever, is one of the most over treated symptoms of all. A great number of people have completely misunderstood fever, and believe that fever can be dangerous in and of itself, especially when the fever occurs in a child. It's important to realize that fever is your body's backup defense mechanism when your primary ones, mainly your immune system fail. Your first line of defense is your macrophages, which gobble up any invading microbes. As long as your immune system is strong, you may not even realize you've been exposed to a troublesome bug.
If you are still under the impression that having a fever of 38 degrees is an indication of a dangerous situation, well, it's actually not. Many infectious agents do not survive in elevated temperatures so your body increases the temperature in an effort to eradicate the infection. It is a healthy response.
Unfortunately, most parents end up giving their child potentially toxic doses of fever-reducing medications such as paracetamol or ibuprofen when, in reality, their child's temperature is ideal for accomplishing healing. Worse yet, there are parents who administer aspirin at the first sign of fever, which actually poses a far greater health risk than any fever could, as aspirin may cause Reye's Syndrome, which can be lethal. One's with Reye's Syndrome will usually suffer brain swelling and fatty liver. When a victim of Reye's Syndrome reaches stage 5, he or she can suffer coma, multiple organs failure or even death.
I've met some 'smart ass' tried mixing aspirin with ibuprofen to treat his fever or headaches. Yeah. Wait till you suffer the deadly effects of that 'smart formula' you created and we'll see about how smart would that be. Like I mentioned before, "Ignorance can kill you, or contribute to miserable life'.
In order to put your worries to rest, it's important to understand the functions a fever serves, and why a rise in temperature is beneficial. Below are the two functions of a fever:
It would be far more helpful to think of a fever as a healing response rather than a symptom of disease. And, raising your body's temperature to between 38.8 to 39.4 degrees is actually the ideal range of a fever because this is the temperature range in which microbes will be killed.
What is the best way to treat a fever? Contrary to popular belief, the best course of action is usually little or no action when it comes to fever. Rather than working against it; trying to lower your temperature, you should work with it and allow it to run its course. The only time you need to worry or seek medical attention is if it rises very high, very fast. This could be a sign of an infection too serious for your body to handle. To support your fever, try either fasting or eating foods such as broths and water because fever slows down peristalsis. Fever is also best supported with plenty of good old fashioned rest.
So, if any of you still has doubt about fever or how to treat a fever, drop a comment. No matter what, DON'T mix aspirin with ibuprofen when you have fever or headaches, especially to those of high-risk patients unless you want to increase the risk of heart attack and stoke to nine folds. Take care folks.
Fever, is one of the most over treated symptoms of all. A great number of people have completely misunderstood fever, and believe that fever can be dangerous in and of itself, especially when the fever occurs in a child. It's important to realize that fever is your body's backup defense mechanism when your primary ones, mainly your immune system fail. Your first line of defense is your macrophages, which gobble up any invading microbes. As long as your immune system is strong, you may not even realize you've been exposed to a troublesome bug.
If you are still under the impression that having a fever of 38 degrees is an indication of a dangerous situation, well, it's actually not. Many infectious agents do not survive in elevated temperatures so your body increases the temperature in an effort to eradicate the infection. It is a healthy response.
Unfortunately, most parents end up giving their child potentially toxic doses of fever-reducing medications such as paracetamol or ibuprofen when, in reality, their child's temperature is ideal for accomplishing healing. Worse yet, there are parents who administer aspirin at the first sign of fever, which actually poses a far greater health risk than any fever could, as aspirin may cause Reye's Syndrome, which can be lethal. One's with Reye's Syndrome will usually suffer brain swelling and fatty liver. When a victim of Reye's Syndrome reaches stage 5, he or she can suffer coma, multiple organs failure or even death.
I've met some 'smart ass' tried mixing aspirin with ibuprofen to treat his fever or headaches. Yeah. Wait till you suffer the deadly effects of that 'smart formula' you created and we'll see about how smart would that be. Like I mentioned before, "Ignorance can kill you, or contribute to miserable life'.
In order to put your worries to rest, it's important to understand the functions a fever serves, and why a rise in temperature is beneficial. Below are the two functions of a fever:
- To stimulate your immune system.
- To create an inhospitable environment for invading organisms. That is, to turn up the heat high enough that the invading microbes cannot live.
It would be far more helpful to think of a fever as a healing response rather than a symptom of disease. And, raising your body's temperature to between 38.8 to 39.4 degrees is actually the ideal range of a fever because this is the temperature range in which microbes will be killed.
What is the best way to treat a fever? Contrary to popular belief, the best course of action is usually little or no action when it comes to fever. Rather than working against it; trying to lower your temperature, you should work with it and allow it to run its course. The only time you need to worry or seek medical attention is if it rises very high, very fast. This could be a sign of an infection too serious for your body to handle. To support your fever, try either fasting or eating foods such as broths and water because fever slows down peristalsis. Fever is also best supported with plenty of good old fashioned rest.
So, if any of you still has doubt about fever or how to treat a fever, drop a comment. No matter what, DON'T mix aspirin with ibuprofen when you have fever or headaches, especially to those of high-risk patients unless you want to increase the risk of heart attack and stoke to nine folds. Take care folks.
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