How A Fever Can Make You Healthier

Innate Intelligence:

In naturopathic medicine, it is understood that the body holds innate intelligence. Re-read that last statement because it’s important. In my opinion, modern medicine has lost respect for this innate intelligence and actually assumes IT is more intelligent than the body itself.

A fever is the body’s way of tuning the immune system. A fever is a healthy response of the immune system and shows that the body holds great vitality. The body can mount a response to a disturbance in the microbial environment, heating the body in order to remove the unwanted microbe and restore balance.

Interestingly, young babies, who arguably hold the strongest life vitality experience fevers quite readily, while the elderly, with reduce vitality, often do not have the ability to create a fever, even in the face of severe infection.

The Science: 

Recent studies are now in support of this old naturopathic understanding. 
Scientists in Shanghai have new evidence explaining how a fever helps the immune cells locate the infection more effectively. They discovered that a fever increases the expression of heat shock protein 90- which acts as a signal to the immune cells.  

Blocking the fever blocks heat shock protein 90 and is thought to be involved in illnesses such as cancer and autoimmune disease, where the immune system does not respond as it should. (see study summary link below)

 
Think Twice: 
 
Unfortunately, we have been taught that a fever should be reduced with readily available Tylenol or Ibuprofen, which can interfere with this innate bodily intelligence.
 
Moreover, we are often unaware of are the dangers of acetaminophen (Tylenol), some of which, in addition to blunting the immune system, include liver toxicity, GI distress, an altered gut microbiome, hypertension, kidney disease, and decreased reproductive health.  There are even correlations with cancer development, blunted emotions and apathy. 
 
Here is a great article on the subject and lists some treatment alternatives: 
https://chriskresser.com/the-dangers-of-acetaminophen/?fbclid=IwAR2r4qpPoP5IJyeP3DAzu74txIMRYiReolR6MADcIKFMPEyLXUGL4Ep7HAg
 
 
Caution: 
 
There are times when a fever can get so high that it becomes threatening to the body itself and can even start to damage the brain.  So please don’t misunderstand me that a fever should never be reduced.  However, know that a fever is a natural, healthy response and we need to understand the reason for it’s response before be automatically reach for that over the counter fever reducer.
 
Check out this link for temperature guidelines on “safe fever levels”: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/fever/symptoms-causes/syc-20352759
 
-Always monitor for signs of dehydration including lethargy, lack of concentration/focus.
-Aim to keep the fever in the “safe zone”, do not unnecessarily suppress. The fever will help to resolve the infection and further develop the immune system for future years.
 

Treatments: 

-Cooling compress
-Tepid bath
-Alcohol swipes to the forehead
 
In addition to the alternative therapies listed above and in the Chris Kresser article, consider a treatment of Warming Socks, aka “Naturopathic Tylenol”.  If you haven’t heard about this magical treatment, I will explain in detail next week!  
 
Shanghai study summary: 
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-01-fever-immune-cells-infections.html?fbclid=IwAR1V8lX0lsI1MnFF5PSEgxd40oEh_nCrFYbCtbRFr5oATaBKH_AFBrh1-A4

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