How to Handle a Fever
By Dr. Val
Too many people panic when they or loved ones spike a fever. Relax people; fever is our friend.The only time a fever is really dangerous? If it goes over 105 degrees Fahrenheit (as taken orally). Mostly, a fever will stop around 103 degrees and rarely does it go over 104 degrees. A fever is simply the immune system response to an infection or toxicity in the blood.
In the case of an infection, viral infections usually cause a low-grade fever, of 101 degrees or less; generally self-limiting (usually going away within two weeks). A bacterial infection is far more dangerous as it may go into a 'fulminant' stage and become uncontrollable. Fever from such an infection will continue to climb and at some point will end when the organism (the person) dies. Brain matter does not do well at over 106 degrees. Remember that commercial on television: "this is your brain on drugs" showing the fried eggs? Extreme or prolonged heat coagulates proteins and causes disassociation of enzymes. Enzymes work in a very narrow range of temperature; once past the outer limits, they cease functioning...which results in death. A high fever in children can cause seizures, but don't give them aspirin--it can make matters worse. Standard treatment is acetaminophen and/or cooling measures (ice pack, ice bath, etc). Check with your physician as to the best way to handle your child's fever.
Fever from toxicity in the blood can go up to around 103 degrees and is usually also self-limiting. When the toxins are “burned off”, the fever goes away. This type of fever usually is slower to rise, preceded by feeling worse and worse, usually with headache, nausea and dizziness. It is usually helped by a flushing of the intestines (enema) and imbibing only water with lemon or lime juice for a couple of days.
Remember that old adage: "Starve a cold/feed a fever"? It isn't complete, which is why nobody understands it. The real saying is "Starve a cold OR YOU WILL feed a fever." In other words, in sickness is not the time to be eating hearty. Chicken soup is about as far as one should go when ill; fasting is far better. In fasting, the body can clear out toxins--several of which come from foods we eat. By drinking only water with lemon or lime juice, layers of mucus that have built up on intestinal walls get dissolved, clearing the intestinal pores, through which lymph fluid is designed to drain out. When lymph fluid becomes over-loaded with toxins and debris it becomes like glue and stops being able to drain. If the lymph is unable to drain and keeps recirculating, it becomes sluggish and clogs up the whole system. At some point the body then needs to burn off toxins no longer being removed from the bloodstream. Fever is the body's answer to this problem.
To take aspirin or acetaminophen at the first sign of a fever is to interfere with the natural workings of the body, adding more toxins to the blood. Sure, it may stop the fever, but the person won't feel much better and the problem doesn't go away. Yes, a high fever is very uncomfortable and dangerous to the brain if it gets too high. An ice pack to the head helps keep the brain cool and reduces the headache that accompanies a fever. When in doubt, check with your doctor. Better yet, keep your emunctories open, your diet clean and avoid getting toxic in the first place.
©2021 Dr. Valerie Olmsted All Rights Reserved Worldwide
