Why you SHOULDN'T treat a fever | Doctor explains

If you think about it, a fever is a protective mechanism for your body to get rid of infection. It makes it harder for bacteria and viruses to replicate so that your immune system can get rid of them quicker. So when we're sick should we be trying to suppress that fever with medications like paracetamol or acetaminophen? And why is it so common to treat fevers with these antipyretic medications?

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#fever #medicine #science

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[iamsofia]

I have a fever and no pain killers at home, and now I'm trying to convince myself that this is actually a blessing😅

[googleislame]

I had a 102.1 fever yesterday, and rather than trying to treat it and cool myself down, I packed on more clothes, wore a wool cap to keep my head warm, and even put on gloves. Then I went to sleep underneath my comforter. I woke up all wet from all of the sweat, but my fever was totally gone. My temp went back down to 98.

[biancaboswell]

Fever at 39.5-40° c for three days straight. I usually don’t take medication unless it’s a last resort but this is the first time in my life having a fever that high I had no choice. It was affecting my ability to move, think, eat, sleep and bathe.

Do what’s best for your body.

[Lavthefox]

MY Hybrid approach to fevers is: I only take something for fever reduction when I go to bed, because in my opinion: a good nights sleep and the benefits from the rest outweigh the benefits of the fever. However when im awake during the day, suffer through it. It sucks, but I have found that I am sick for a shorter period of time if I just let my body do what it needs to do. Supply the troops with lots of water, eat meals that go down easily and raise your spirits, and the battle will be won in no time.

[Azrael__]

Completely anecdotal but I've always let my fevers run their course and generally my illness goes away quicker than others in my family.

[carmaela]

Growing up, we never treated a fever unless it was a high fever because you can get febrile seizures if it gets too high. We rarely got sick and we kicked sickness quickly when we did come down with something. To this day, I don't take any meds unless I really REALLY need them.

[vosksksk]

simpler explanation:

fevers are what cells put out to try and eliminate a disease or virus. hence it wouldnt make sense to stop the fever because its what a cell puts out to stop viruses and diseases

[manawanuituhoro]

My grandmother always said let the fever kill the germs .

[Darkfreedm]

2:50 Horrible advice. if your temp gets up to 41°C you better just call an ambulance.

[cararobertson]

Thanks! I was telling someone all this and she rolled her eyes and said a fever is hard on your organs. Sent her this. Hopefully she’ll watch and educate herself some!

[annieavila]

Yes, I've heard this explanation before. Our body is still fighting so unless it's really high we still must observe.

[Userx]

Data is that fever reducers doesn't decrease the fever duration. But that it helps you be more comfortable.

[JoachimPersonalAccount]

One good reason for medication is to have good sleep. Suffer during daytime and at night have higher quality sleep for better recovery

[jordanmadden]

I think we understand that our body has a fever to fight off the infection. But the purpose of taking fever reducers is to not feel miserable and be able to get through work or school etc. It’s not going to stop your body from fighting the infection. If it did, people would never get better.

[mmdishman]

Makes me think that this is another good reason for exercise - it raises your temp which might be killing viruses that we don't even know we have yet. Hmm.

[paulrevere]

I have been compelled to be my own best doctor for well over a decade now. It's refreshing to see some in the medical establishment catching up.

[yapolloable]

nah bro, i just had fever of 38.5 to 39.0C. It makes me feel weak and walking a few steps makes me feel faint like I'm going to black out any time. Taking paracetamol may prolong the sickness BUT it makes me feel a lot better and I wouldn't feel breathless when i walk 100m to buy food.
please to everyone out there, don't wait till you reach 40C to start taking pills.

[xxbrunaloverxx]

Currently recovering from the worst flu I've ever had and I couldn't go through it without painkillers... I had a fever for 7 days straight, a very high one at that, on the 3rd day my fever was so high I passed out and hit my head on my bathroom sink. Had to get stitches and will have a permanent scar on my head.. So yeah.. I'll keep taking painkillers if my temp is higher than 38.5°C

[animeshrose]

Fevers ain't fun. If you have light fever this advice may very well hold. But if you have a fever of 104-105+ with constant shivering and unable to eat or sleep. What would be your advice doc?

[jimeagle]

When I had covid I tried to take this route and I layed in bed watching TV ..miserable as balls with a letting my 102 fever "run its course", after about the 5th day I broke down and took some ibuprofen and felt absolutely normal for 6 hours. It was wonderful.