Fevers – MaggiesVitamins

Yesterday I wrote about the Miracle of a Fever

Yesterday’s Blog Post on Fevers

Today I will share some more in-depth information about fevers that you may find interesting and hopefully useful.

A fever (pyrexia) can be a response to:

. endogenous pyrogens which are fever causing chemicals produced in the body

. infection

. bacteria

. exercise (a fever is a normal reaction)

. dehydration (a fever indicates this is a serious problem)

Basically it is an immune response.

Yesterday I wrote about the miracle of fevers and for good reason. The fever helps to heal you. However, the inability to strike a fever in response to an infection is a sign of weakness and debility. People with serious illnesses like AIDS or Cancer often do not have enough bodily strength to strike a fever. This is also common with the elderly and makes diagnosing serious illnesses in the elderly more difficult.

As for children and fevers according to a report published in the journal Pediatrics:

“Fever retards the growth and reproduction of bacteria and viruses, enhances neutrophil production and T-lymphocyte proliferation, and aids in the body’s acute-phase reaction… Most fevers are of short duration, are benign, and may actually protect the host. Data show beneficial effects on certain components of the immune system in fever, and limited data have revealed that fever actually helps the body recover more quickly from viral infections…”

A very interesting thing about the body when it comes to fevers is that digestion slows dramatically when the body spikes a fever. Food tends to ferment and putrefy so the best protocol is to fast, rest and drink plenty of fluids. And of course, monitor, monitor, monitor. You want the fever to run its course and do its job but if it starts to spike too high, it needs to be addressed immediately.

The optimal range for a fever to do its job is between 99 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Always seek proper medical attention if a fever starts to spike higher than this. For more guidelines around this here is a good and informative link:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/fever/symptoms-causes/syc-20352759

In closing I cannot stress enough the power of rest. Whether you are fighting a cold, fever, or the flu, rest, rest, rest! Support your body in supporting you. 🙂

Maggie Holbik.com is a Board Certified Nutritionist, Registered Nutritional Practitioner, Natural Nutrition Clinical Practitioner and Certifed Life Coach who loves sharing information about wellness of body, mind and spirit.

“Fever, for instance, is an inflammatory response to an overgrowth of a bacteria or virus. The body, in its wisdom, knows that bacteria and viruses can survive only in a very narrow temperature range. Elevating the core body temperature by as little as one or two degrees can make the body completely inhospitable to the invading organisms. “

Judith Boice, N.D.

Although high fevers can be dangerous and need to be monitored and perhaps one may even need to seek medical attention, I am forever amazed at how people try to suppress fevers. They are doing their job! They are trying to burn off infection and heal you! The fever is not the enemy. The underlying pathogen is the enemy and cause of the fever.

As the quote states even one or two degrees variation in body temperature can do the job! Fevers are amazing!!!

Personally, I have gratitude for my body when it develops into a fevered state, when necessary. I thank it for doing its job to protect me and to burn off what it needs too… just like boiling water will burn off pathogenic microbes. So I therefore don’t try to ‘stop’ the fever, I let it run its course, do its job, all while I monitor to make sure it does not get ‘too high’.

So of course, you must monitor the temperature. According to the Mayo Clinic, seek medical attention if your fever reaches 103 degrees or higher. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/fever/symptoms-causes/syc-20352759

I hope you found this helpful. I found it interesting that fever is a form of inflammation. 🙂

Maggie Holbik.com is a Board Certified Nutritionist, Natural Nutrition Clinical Practitioner and a Registered Nutritional Therapist. Maggie is also a Certified Life Coach and Certified Infinite Possibilities Trainer & Coach who loves to share helpful information and to inspire others.

Feel free to contact Maggie about anything 🙂