Fever---Friend or Foe?

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Proper fever thermometer

Fever — Friend or Foe?

I’ve been getting plenty of questions regarding fever in the past few weeks. Is fever good? Can fever be dangerous? What temperature is too high?

This is my first answer. Fever is one of the body’s best defense mechanisms! Fever is a friend, not a foe! Fever is also a sign that a fierce, healthy battle is brewing in the body–YOU vs GERMS (bacteria, viruses, etc). It means that there is an imbalance (too many germs).

When you’re being attacked by these tiny invaders, your healthy body knows how to deal with them with different strategies. One of these strategies involves raising the temperature of your body, making it too warm for these foreign germs to survive. This is fever, and like I’ve already said, it is wonderful. Lowering this defense mechanism with Tylenol or other medications provides an environment that is better-suited for the germs.

It’s been shown that until the fever has exceeded 107 degrees for an extended period of time, it won’t cause brain damage. But don’t take it from me–this from Dr Alan Green, MD, FAAP. So a temp of 103, 104 or even 105 is not life-threatening. It’s actually very beneficial.

It is important to keep hydrated. Watch for exceedingly yellow urine, which indicates a lack of hydration. Giving children room-temperature fluids in this situation should be considered re-hydration, not cooling down.

Now, I see kids in my office on a regular basis. More and more parents are bringing in their children because they’ve heard that chiropractic might be able to help with different illnesses including ear infections. When the bones of the neck shift and are not able to move properly, it causes interference along the nerves of the neck which in turn messes with the immune system. When this happens, the immune system cannot produce the required defense mechanisms to fight off an infection/illness properly. The child will repeatedly get sick, several times a year or more in some cases. This may also affect the child developmentally. If the immune system is compromised, Tylenol, antibiotics and other medications will treat the symptoms (fever, infection, etc) but will not do anything for the compromise in your child’s immune system, resulting in repeated or chronic illness. As a chiropractor, I’m specially trained to find these interferences and make shifts so that the body can do what it’s supposed to and be able to take care of itself. Call me–we can talk about what chiropractic can do for your child.

Next time your child develops a fever, ask yourself, “Why is fever present?” and “Do I know better than the body?” I, for one, know I’m not smarter than my body. Fever is our friend–leave it alone!

Here at my office, I’ve seen many wonderful and consistent results with children who have dealt with ear infections or other chronic illnesses. If this is something that you’d like to discuss, please call 804-740-3434 to set up a consultation.

World Chiropractic is located in Henrico Virginia on Gaskins Rd.

World Chiropractic
1125 Gaskins Rd.
Henrico VA. 23238
(804)740-3434