International Chiropractic Pediatric AssociationThis is a question parents sometimes ask in our office, especially during flu season. In order to answer it, we need to be clear of both the dangers and benefits of a fever.
Many of you just did a double take when you read that fever can have a benefit. But, according to a 1992 brochure published by the makers of Tylenol, fever is a very important thing for your body to be able to produce. It helps the body prevent or clear infections, whether they are viral or bacterial.
This same publication states that fevers are generally not dangerous until they reach a temperature of 106.3 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, it says that there is not really even much danger of a seizure from the fever until it has been at 106 degrees for 3 days or more. Furthermore, it states that, “even if a seizure does occur, there rarely is any residual effect at all.”
Now, this is not to say that we want to let a fever get to the point where a seizure or any damage could occur. Nor does it mean that we should not make sure something more serious isn’t going on. What it does mean is that we should be acutely aware that the body has a specific purpose for producing a fever, and we should respect that and not automatically try to reduce it. This is a very important thing to understand, and while many adults can now grasp this concept, many of our kids have grown up believing that fever is a bad thing and must be reduced as soon as it starts. *
We have an explanation for fever in our office that I would like to share with you here. It is the way we explain fever to a child, and it usually helps clear it up for adults as well. It goes something like this…
“Hi Johnny! Your mom told me you’re not feeling quite the way you would like to, and that you have a fever, is that right? Well, do you remember how we always tell you after your adjustment that your power is on now? You know Tim, that “power” is just like a light! Have you ever touched a light bulb when it’s been on? It’s very hot isn’t it? Well, sometimes, when your body needs a little more power to help itself get or stay healthy, it turns its power up, and you get hot…just like that light bulb! That’s what we call a fever, and it’s a very good thing for your body to be able to turn its power up if it needs to. My job is to adjust you and make sure that your power gets turned up as high as it needs to go to get you well again, but only as high as it needs to go and no higher! Your adjustment also helps to make sure that your power is only turned up for as long as it needs to be and no longer. Pretty cool, huh?! Isn’t it great how your body knows exactly what to do to stay healthy?! Come on, let’s get you adjusted and make sure your light can help your body be the best it can be!”
This kind of explanation from you can help your children understand the incredible miracle they have within them. It will also help them to grow up knowing that health does not come from drugs, but that it is our natural state. And, by keeping our spines aligned and functioning properly so that our brains and bodies are fully connected, we all have the best possible chance of staying healthy and moving toward the full expression of Life. This also means that we all are more likely to reach our potential in life. And after all, isn’t that what life is really all about anyway?
* Did you know that not automatically treating/reducing fever is a big reason why less patients died under chiropractic care than medical care during the 1913 Spanish Flu epidemic!?!
[Adapted from an article by Dr. Kevin Donka www.kevindonka.com]
