Fever

When you feel as if you're coming down with a fever, the best thing you can do is take an over-the-counter (OTC) nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as Motrin or Tylenol to make it go away... right? Not necessarily, says Thomas A. Kruzel, ND, a naturopathic physician in private practice in Scottsdale, Arizona, and past president of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. In fact, in most cases, the answer is no, according to Dr. Thomas A. Kruzel

Fever is one of the body's most effective weapons for fighting disease, and usually the best thing you can do is to let it run its course to do its job. Forcibly reducing a fever can cause an illness to last longer or be more severe than it might have been if the fever had been allowed to burn it out.

To remove misconceptions and mis-understanding, Dr. Kruzel shared the following thoughts on what fever is and how to cope with one.

"Fever is an elevation in body temperature in response to infection or other illness. When an infection or illness is detected, a part of the brain called the hypothalamus triggers the body to mount a fever to ward off invaders. This mobilizes white blood cells to surround and engulf bacteria, viruses and other toxins. Essentially, your body burns up the invaders, explains Dr. Kruzel. In most adults, a fever does its optimal work at 102 degrees, and then breaks."

DRINK LOTS OF FLUIDS

"Whatever other steps you take to intervene with a fever, don't forget this age-old one -- drink plenty of fluids. Don't allow yourself to become dehydrated, cautions Dr. Kruzel. To replace fluids lost through sweating, keep water, juice, seltzer, tea and soup close at hand. It can also be very refreshing to suck on popsicles. (To keep the sugar content under control, I make my family popsicles using diluted fruit juice.)"

REST IS ESSENTIAL

"Another oldie but goodie -- get plenty of rest. Left to its own resources, this would be the body's natural response to fever, notes Dr. Kruzel. It's called "adaptive withdrawal," and children and animals still respond this way. When they develop a fever, they naturally grow more subdued. Most adults respond instead by fighting a fever, says Dr. Kruzel. They take a Tylenol and tough it out, insisting on going to work and meeting social obligations... when listening to their bodies and taking it easy would in reality help them get better faster. "

EMBRACE HYDROTHERAPY

"Of course, sometimes you need to get your fever down -- either because you truly don't have time to be sick, or because the fever is dangerously high. One of the best ways to do this is something called hydrotherapy. Dr. Kruzel notes that while hydrotherapy sounds counterintuitive, it is an excellent way to help break a fever that is "stuck" for two or three days. What to do..."

• "Wet a T-shirt and socks (cotton is best) with cold water. Wring as much water out of them as possible. After taking a warm shower, put on the cold, wet T-shirt and socks. Next, cover them with a dry, warm sweatshirt, a dry pair of cotton sweat socks, and dry sweat pants and climb into bed. According to Dr. Kruzel, this technique calms the nervous system, and causes the fever to spike and then break. "

• "Cool down. In addition to hydrotherapy, you can help cool down with the help of a wet towel or a cool bath. Wet a towel with cold water, and wring it out. Wrap the towel around the base of the skull and neck. This cools blood going to the brain. You can also simply take cool (65° F to 70° F) baths. "

CONSIDER NATURAL REMEDIES

"If you feel that you need to take something for a fever, it's still not necessary to reach for an OTC pill. As we've read in study after study in recent months, these drugs are far from benign and have a number of potentially serious side effects. Aspirin and other NSAIDs (e.g., Advil, Motrin, Aleve) are associated with gastrointestinal bleeding and kidney damage, while excess Tylenol can harm the liver. (Caution: Never give aspirin to children, since it is associated with a rare but life-threatening condition known as Reye's syndrome.)"

"Two of Dr. Kruzel's favorite natural alternatives are..."

• "Yarrow tea. This fever-breaking herb stimulates the body's immune response to infection. Yarrow kicks the fever up half a degree, which is what we want to do to get to the 102-degree healing point, explains Dr. Kruzel. Add a teaspoon of dried yarrow to 8 ounces of hot water, and drink up to three cups daily. Sweeten with honey if desired. Yarrow can be combined with elderberry or spearmint. "

• "Ferrum phosphoricum (ferrum phos). This homeopathic combination of the minerals iron and phosphate encourages the body's natural response to fever. For best results, take at the first sign of a fever, and again if you start to feel worse. If symptoms improve, there is no need to take more. An average dose consists of two pellets of a 30C potency dissolved under the tongue up to four times daily. Other beneficial homeopathic remedies for fever include Belladonna, Bryonia, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Nux vomica and Sulphur. Homeopathic remedies have subtle variations depending on your symptoms. It's best to check with a trained professional before taking any homeopathic remedy for fever. "

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  The foregoing article is derived from "Bottom Line's Daily Health News" , SEPTEMBER 18, 2006 a copyrighted e-mail magazine, and is reproduced here without permission for informational purposes only. Material within quotes is quoted directly from the referenced piece.

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  Silver Bullet Enterprises, Its' Owners and Employees take no responsibility for the content of this article. Even though the premis sounds logical, and the conclusions are similar to conclusions we have reached independently, we lack the expertise and credentials to make an "informed" evaluation of these statements.

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