Heather Bedard, C.H.E.
Here are some fun fever facts that can help you when making your decisions:
1. 98.6 is a statistical average. It is NOT a normal body temperature. Temperatures for children can range from 96.6-99.4.
2. Temperatures fluctuate for many different reasons. Temperatures for teenagers can rise during ovulation in females and can also be affected by digesting a heavy meal, dehydration, allergies, or the effect of medications such as antihistamines. For most people temperatures will fluctuate during the day and will be based on the level of their activity.
3. Temperatures vary based on how you take them. Here is a list to show you the differences:
Rectal = 1 degree higher than oral
Underarm 1 degree lower than oral
Babies don’t vary much
4. The height of your temperature does not determine how sick you are. Nobody agrees on what temp is too high or what severity means exactly. This is why it is so important that you take yours or your child’s whole disposition under consideration. Factor in what the you/your child have been eating, past and current behavior, who you've/they’ve been around, emotional stressors, allergies, medications etc…
5. Your body will not go over 106 degrees if you have a bacterial or viral infection. Anything lower than this will not cause brain damage or permanent physical harm. The risk you want to watch out for is dehydration. You can overcome this by drinking 8oz every hour. This is a lot of liquids and if you or your child can’t fulfill this, you can do your best do fill yourself or your child with liquids in whatever form you/he will take including juices, sparking water, infused water, tea, vegetable broth etc. One of the ways you can tell if you have a virus is that it will be accompanied by a cough or runny nose. There is nothing the doctor will give you that will help your child’s body more than what your body can do so there’s no need to freak out. Based on the research, it is recommended to let the fever do the work it needs to, and interfere as little as possible. Some things you should watch out for, that should give you concern, would be:
a. Extreme listlessness
b. Twitching
c. Abnormal behavior
d. Respiratory difficulty
6. High fevers do not cause convulsions. The convulsions are a result of the temperature rising at an extremely rapid pace. There is no evidence that febrile seizures in childhood increase susceptibility to epilepsy when your child gets older.
These facts can help you wade through the noise as you make your decisions about your health. Don't forget, your body is wonderfully made and the best thing you can do is to support it as it seeks to eliminate pathogens.
----------------------
Belon L, Skidmore P, Mehra R, Walter E. Effect of a fever in viral infections - the 'Goldilocks' phenomenon?. World J Clin Cases. 2021;9(2):296-307. doi:10.12998/wjcc.v9.i2.296
Schnaiderman D, Lahat E, Sheefer T, Aladjem M. Antipyretic effectiveness of acetaminophen in febrile seizures: ongoing prophylaxis versus sporadic usage. Eur J Pediatr. 1993;152:747–749
Comentarios