Fever Increases Immune System Defense, Study Shows

Dr. Petryk’s Thoughts: Most physicians will agree that fevers are the way your body defends itself whether the admit it openly or not.

Fevers are a natural response to a threat. When your system perceives a bacteria or virus, the natural defense results in an increased temperature in order to “burn up” the organism. Suppression of the fever simply reduces the inherent ability of your body to defend itself and potentially increase the life and ferocity of the organism.

There is scientific evidence that demonstrates that the more you “treat” fevers and the more you vaccinate, the less effective the immunogenic response is. Lets use a perfect example: if the germ theory was all that it is “portrayed” to be, then there wouldn’t be a doctor or nurse alive to tell you. Look at the care giving staffs in hospitals, they are amongst the healthiest (as was the case when I worked in the hospital).

Your body is much like a finely tuned race car. The more it is “tuned up” / challenged, the more effective in its response it becomes.

How to decide when a fever is too much?

One must apply some common sense to the situation. A fever will normally fluctuate (rise and fall) in 30 minute increments so this is something to watch for… this doesn’t mean that it will go up and down between “normal” and “elevated” however, you will see it cycle.

First thing you must understand. 98.6 degrees F is not a “normal” temperature, it is an average temperature… everyone is different and that is why the range of normal is from 97.6 F through 99.9 F (there is some variation according to the reference source).

I, as a physician, do not panic if I see a fever (by definition: greater than 100 degrees F) and will keep an eye on 2 primary things;  watching to see that the temperature does fluctuate and the personality of the person who is having the fever (watching their attitudes, demeanor, and normal behavior). I find these two things are essential understand what the “number/degrees” represent. I am confident in allowing my family and most of my patients to go pretty high but the moment I see something that is not right, then we take the appropriate measures.

In most cases, you allow the person to rest, drink plenty of fluids, cool them off with compresses or put them in a tempered tub of water and let the fever take its course.

**this article is not meant to diagnosis and/or treat any disease or dysfunction. You are advised to contact your physician for additional information.**