Immunity system complexity: why fever (Introduction)

by David Turell , Tuesday, November 28, 2023, 19:27 (151 days ago) @ David Turell

It came as we evolved to help with infection:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2405182-why-some-medical-conditions-are-due-to-evo...

"Fever

"A raised temperature is usually caused by infections. The standard medical advice for anyone whose temperature goes above about 38°C (100°F) has been to use over-the-counter medicines such as ibuprofen and paracetamol (known as acetaminophen in the US) to bring it down. But in the past few years, there has been a rethink.

"The body’s temperature is carefully controlled by the hypothalamus at the base of the brain. During an infection, our temperature rises for a reason: many bacteria and viruses reproduce more slowly at higher temperatures, while our immune cells seem to work better. (my bold)

"This means that taking drugs to bring down temperature could actually be counterproductive. Even intensive care doctors are rethinking how much they should intervene with high temperatures.

"Medical advice to the public has also started changing in some countries. In the UK, for instance, National Health Service websites say that drugs such as paracetamol should be taken only to combat discomfort or distress from the high temperature, not just for the sake of it, saying it is “the body’s natural response to fighting infections'”.

This quote exactly mirrors my response to my patients. Don't fight the fever unless you are very uncomfortble with it. There are always reasons for what happens to us.