Truths and myths about fever
Before we begin to break down the rules for caring for a feverish child, I must convince you of one very shocking fact. Fever is not a disease, but a normal, defensive reaction. It doesn’t just happen. The ORGANISM itself does it.
There are two types of immunity: nonspecific (innate) and specific (acquired). A person has nonspecific immunity from birth until death. This is a complex of cells and physiological reactions, which was created for the indiscriminate, one might even say “inaccurate” destruction of everything alien.
Specific immunity is developed throughout life in the form of the formation of antibodies to all foreign organisms that enter it actively (a full-fledged disease) or passively (vaccination).
Accordingly, the longer a person has lived, the more and more diverse his set of antibodies, which means the less likely he is to meet a new microbe that will cause him a disease.
Fever just refers to the system of nonspecific immunity. In a normal, healthy state, our thermoregulatory center is set to our optimal body temperature, which ranges from 35.5 to 37.4°C. The microbes that enter the body perform the function of pyrogens (Greek pyr fire, heat + gennaō to create, produce). They affect the center of thermoregulation, and that, in turn, raises the standard bar – now it is no longer 36.6, but 38, 39 or even 40 degrees. And this temperature will be maintained until the pyrogens stop affecting the thermoregulation center, that is, until recovery occurs.
Elevated body temperature reduces the viability of viruses and bacteria, enhances the specific and nonspecific components of immunity. It is thanks to the fever that the body’s defenses are mobilized and are able to work adequately.
From all this, you yourself can draw a logical conclusion why children, especially kindergarten ones (who have already run out of antibodies transmitted by their mother during pregnancy, but they have not yet developed their own), have such a high temperature with banal SARS. It’s just that the regular troops (specific immunity) have not yet been formed, and the border guards (non-specific immunity, including fever) have to hold back the blow themselves and wait, wait, wait.
And now the most important question: what body temperature is considered harmful to the body, that is, it begins to affect not only foreign agents, but also its own cells and tissues? Will the body raise the temperature to such a high limit? The answer is simple – a normally functioning thermoregulation center will almost never raise the temperature above 41.6-42 degrees, which is already considered excessively high. How often have you seen such high rates in infectious diseases? I’m sure not often. Very rarely it reaches 40, even less often up to 41, and I’m generally silent about 42 degrees! That is, it turns out that our body knows perfectly well when it is necessary to raise the temperature and to what specific limit. When is it possible to overcome the border of 42 degrees? By and large, in two cases: disruption of the thermoregulation center (traumatic brain injury, brain tumors) and general overheating from the outside.
“Let’s do it! you say. “Everything is very clear with this theory, but the problem is that my doctor tells me that the child needs to bring down the high temperature, otherwise he may burn out!” Excellent! Since we are talking about the opinion of doctors, let’s look at the recommendations, for example, NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence):
Recommendations for parents when caring for a child with a high body temperature at home:
constantly offer children to drink (for children who are breastfed, the most suitable liquid is breast milk);
Know the signs of dehydration:
sunken fontanel;
dry mouth;
sunken eyes;
lack of tears;
disturbed general condition.
provide plenty of fluids, encourage your child to drink more fluids, and seek immediate medical attention if you see several signs of dehydration.
Measures to reduce body temperature
Antipyretic drugs do not prevent seizures and should not be used for this purpose.
Physical measures to reduce body temperature
Wet cold sheets (and other so-called “physical cooling methods”) are not recommended for lowering body temperature.
Children with fever should not be completely undressed or dressed too warmly.