Should You Fight A Fever?

Most people would worry if their temperature, or the temperature of their child or other loved one, was to rise by more than a couple of degrees and they would probably act to try to reduce the temperature to nearer the normal 37C/98.6F. Surprisingly, this is not necessarily the best course of action.

Prior to the development of antibiotics and vaccines, fever struck fear into populations and caused many deaths. Modern medicines, however, have caused these diseases to be treatable or preventable. Medical research has also shown that a fever is not the body's enemy.

Most bacteria and viruses that cause infections thrive at normal body temperatures. So raising the temperature by a few degrees is the body's way of fighting infection by making conditions less suitable for the survival and reproducion of the infectious agent. A fever will also activate the body's immune system by encouraging the production of white blood cells, antibodies and other infection-fighting agents. So if acting to bring down the temperature may prevent the body from fighting the infection, does this mean you should let the fever take its natural course? Not necessarily.

A high fever may be caused by measles, mumps or meningitis or other serious illnesses and you should seek medical help in any of the following circumstances.
 
 
About the Author
Tony Luck runs a web with advice about babies. The site includes the famous Chinese Pregnancy chart which predicts whether the baby you are expecting will be a girl or a boy.

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