{"id":1368,"date":"2012-03-18T17:01:42","date_gmt":"2012-03-18T17:01:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/drconnieamundson.com\/?p=1368"},"modified":"2012-03-18T17:01:42","modified_gmt":"2012-03-18T17:01:42","slug":"fevers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heartmountainchiropractic.com\/es\/fevers\/","title":{"rendered":"Fevers (March 2012)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many infants and children develop high fevers with minor viral illnesses. Fever is an important part of the body’s defense against infection. Most bacteria and viruses that cause infections in people thrive best at 98.6 \u00b0F (1). The American Academy of Pediatrics describes that fever is not a disease, but a sign that your body is doing what it’s supposed to do to fight infection. They quote: \u00abFever is not an illness, rather, it is a symptom of sickness and is usually a positive sign that the body is fighting infection.\u00bb<\/em><\/p>\n

In 1980 Dr. Barton D. Schmitt published an article in the journal Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine concluding that most parents (52%) have \u201cfever phobia\u201d in which they believe that moderate fevers cause serious neurological effects and brain damage. Therefore most were likely to treat a fever aggressively<\/em>: 85% gave drugs to reduce the fever (2). In 2001, a group at John Hopkins revisited this work of Dr. Schmitt and concluded that the fears and misconceptions of parents still persist (3).<\/p>\n

Febrile seizures do not occur in most children, and although they can be frightening to parents, the vast majority of febrile seizures are short and harmless. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, there is no evidence that short febrile seizures cause brain damage. Large studies have found that children with febrile seizures have normal school achievement and perform well on intellectual tests. Brain damage from a fever should not be of concern and generally will not occur unless the fever is over 107.6 \u00b0F (42 \u00b0C) (1). Health care providers have an impact on parental understanding of fever and its severity. Medical care practices may need to inquire about educational interventions concerning fever and its role in illness.<\/p>\n

It is rare for a fever to rise higher than 104 or 105 degrees F, and as long as your child does not seem distressed, there is no harm in letting a fever run its course. Fevers tend to spike in the late afternoon and evening, so a slight increase in fever during this time is not necessarily cause for alarm (4). Fevers caused by infection will rarely go over 105 \u00b0F unless the child is overdressed or trapped in a hot place. With that in mind, do not bundle someone up who has the chills, and be sure to remove excess clothing and blankets.<\/p>\n

There are many benefits of having a fever when a child or adult is experiencing flu-like symptoms. Many of these benefits help ward off the cause of the illness. Antibodies and white blood cells typically elevate in order to fight off the virus or bacteria. Therefore, lowering a fever with medications is not recommended. Medications can cause potential side effects including liver damage and stomach upset. Febrile lowering drugs can also mask your symptoms telling you to return to work or play before the body is ready. Medications may actually prolong the illness. A series of vaccine studies done at the University of Maryland concluded that aspirin and acetaminophen suppressed production of antibodies and increased cold symptoms, lengthening the time of infection. The current study compared the duration of illness in those who received the medication with those who did not and found that flu sufferers who took one of the anti-fever medications were sick an average of 3.5 days longer<\/strong> than people who did not take either of the drugs (5).<\/p>\n

However, there is a time and a place to seek medical attention. Necessity of intervention is recommended if there is presence of the following:<\/p>\n