FEVER (pyrexia) - Simple facts you need to know
Part 1, by OzChiropractic

The sight of a little child in the grips of a major fever brings fear to most parent’s hearts and is probably why fever is one of the most common reasons that parents seek medical attention for their children.

A study published in Pediatrics, Vol. 107, No. 6, June 2001, pp. 1241-1246 questioned parents and found well over 50% of them were very worried about the potential harm of fever in their children. Almost half considered 102°F to be a "high" fever, and 7% thought that a temperature could rise to greater than 110°F if left untreated. Ninety-one percent (91%) of parents believed that a fever could cause harmful effects; 21% listed brain damage, and 14% listed death.

Why a fever?
When our body detects an irritant such as "infectious bugs," the white blood cells go into action in a specific way. They release a substance called endogenous pyrogen, which signals the brain's hypothalamus to raise the body's thermostat setting. In turn, the body heats up by increasing its metabolic rate, shivering, or seeking warm environments, i.e. wrapping yourself in a blanket.

It also minimizes heat loss by restricting blood flow to the skin, giving it a pale appearance. Once body temperature rises, the skin flushes and sweats. A fever sufferer may lose appetite and feel lethargic, achy, and sleepy.

A fever is usually an expression of the immune system working at its best. Given that most animals mount a fever in response to illness, it's likely that humans have preserved this response because it improves survival; some research supports this theory. Animal studies show that when fever is blocked, survival rates from infection decline.

Fever increases the amount of interferon (a natural antiviral and anticancer substance) in the blood. A mild fever also increases the number of white blood cells that kill cells infected with viruses, fungi, and cancer, and improves the ability of certain white blood cells to destroy bacteria and infected cells. Fever also impairs the replication of many bacteria and viruses.

The severity of a fever is an unreliable indicator of the severity of the child's condition as it is often the sick child that does not have a fever and the well child that throws the raging fever (and I bet you thought it was the other way around).

Any time body temperature increases, salt and water are lost via sweating, and stores of energy and vitamins, especially the water-soluble ones, are burned up. The wisdom of the human body makes some minerals unavailable as bacteria need them to thrive. In terms of energy stores, our bodies switch from burning glucose (the favorite meal of bacteria) to burning protein and fat.

Very high fevers - those above 106°F (41°C) - can harm the heart and brain. Some authorities, however, say that fever in this range is unlikely to cause brain damage in a previously healthy child.

During most infections, the brain keeps body temperature at or below 104°F (40°C). About 3 percent of kids have febrile seizures. Of those kids who have a first-time febrile seizure, about one-third have a recurrence. Frightening as these seizures are for parents, they're benign; once they pass, the child continues to develop normally. It is also noted that those children who have had their previous fevers suppressed by medication stand a greater chance of febrile convulsions.

Most people are seriously misinformed about the mechanisms and purpose of fever. The belief that fever is a disease rather than a symptom or sign of the body doing what it needs to do to enhance its immune response, leads many parents to want to stop the fever.

But, is that the best course of action and what are your choices? We will visit in the next issue.                                         

Go to Part II
 

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