Tuesday, February 18, 2014

is a fever good for you?

Well....maybe.

There's growing evidence that reaching for the Tylenol or Advil when you have a low fever might not be the best thing for you.

Viruses, as it turns out, are very susceptible to temperature...and holding a mild fever down might actually keep you sicker, longer.

Not to mention that those medications have side effects and liver damage issues of their own.

No one suggests that a high fever is good, but for a mild fever, letting it run it's course just might be the best medicine.

That being said, health care practitioners suggest there ARE some common sense guidelines as to when a fever is, in fact, not mild at all


  • A child under three months has a fever over 100.4 or exhibits any serious symptoms
  • A child has a fever over 104 as this can signal a more serious infection or poisoning
  • A child has a fever for more than two consecutive days
  • The ill person has other symptoms like stiff neck, listlessness, or sensitivity to light
  • The person is unable to hold down food for more than a few hours or shows any signs of dehydration
  • Person exhibits any sign of respiratory distress (Seek immediate help)
  • Person has been exposed to toxins or poisons that may have caused the fever
  • Your intuition says there is something more serious going on, even if the child appears fine

Stay healthy, my friends.

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