Why I Don’t Reduce a Fever – And What I Do Instead

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Why I don't reduce a fever
Wellness Mama » Blog » Health » Why I Don’t Reduce a Fever – And What I Do Instead

It’s hard to watch when our loved ones suffer from a high temperature. Many have sent emails and asked in my Facebook group, “Should you let a fever run its course in young children?” While we can all agree on plenty of fluids, I’m not quick to use over-the-counter medications to reduce it. Some pediatrics now suggest letting the fever run its course during flu season.

I try to avoid fear-mongering and want to avoid fever phobia and misconceptions. Over the years, my home remedies have helped my family fight illness more quickly and usually prevent recurring infections. So, let’s look at what causes a fever and when to seek medical attention before looking at natural remedies for fever.

[Note: I am not a doctor, nurse, or medical professional and do not play one online. Always check with a doctor or medical professional if a medical need arises.]

What Causes a Fever?

Fever is a natural response to infection or illness that increases body temperature. A fever is a good sign as it means the body is responding and fighting infections. When the normal body temperature rises, it is part of the natural immune system response we should allow to continue in most cases.

Fever can be caused by a bacterial or viral illness, or in rare cases, by poisoning, heatstroke, environmental toxins, or a malfunctioning hypothalamus. For most of us, a simple viral infection causes fever and will fade on its own as the body heals. There are a few exceptions, but more on that later.

When Is a Fever Too High for a Child?

Despite what seems like popular belief, in most cases, a low-grade fever less than 103°F will not cause brain damage, and a fever stemming from an infection will usually not go above this unless other factors (hot environment, etc.) are present.

In many cases, those who suffer brain damage or other problems from an illness suffer from the illness itself, not the high fever. The Natural Institutes of Health and the U.S. Library of Natural Medicine states a fever less than 107°F is unlikely to cause brain damage or other problems unless accompanied by more severe symptoms. (Although I don’t like letting them go this high and have never had a child’s fever anywhere near this high).

Even fevers high enough to cause febrile seizures do not indicate a severe problem in themselves. Most febrile seizures pass quickly and don’t cause permanent damage. They aren’t a symptom of epilepsy.

I highly recommend the book How to Raise a Healthy Child In Spite of Your Doctor for a more detailed explanation about the benefits of a fever and why reducing it can be harmful.

If one of my family members has a fever less than 103-104°F that I know is not the result of poisoning, severe bacterial infection, heatstroke, or toxins, I find it best to wait it out. Nevertheless, I will monitor symptoms and use home remedies to make the person more comfortable.

This is my personal preference in this situation. While I’ve never found temperatures at this point or lower to be harmful, it is always important to do your research and talk to a medical professional if you feel the situation warrants it. In my experience, most fevers from illness hover in the 101-103°F range and are an effective part of the immune system’s response to infection, like making antibodies.

Should You Let a Fever Run Its Course?

There are several reasons it is better not to reduce a fever. Since fever is part of the body’s natural way of fighting illness or infection, reducing the fever can make the illness last longer, as it lets the virus live for a longer time.

Additionally, most OTC conventional fever treatments, called antipyretics, may do more harm than good. Acetaminophen, Motrin, Tylenol, and Advil (the medications most often given to children to reduce body temperature and fever) have side effects or even cause organ damage. Specifically, Tylenol can hurt the liver, and Advil can damage the kidneys or cause bleeding in the digestive tract, especially when given regularly.

Also, medications, like antipyretics, are foreign substances in the body, which the body must metabolize and filter. Doing so takes energy the body could be using to fight the illness.

While a fever can be uncomfortable, it is possible to comfort the ill person without reducing the fever with home remedies. The medications that reduce fever often also get rid of body aches or uncomfortable symptoms, so the two are thought to go hand in hand. While certainly, medical intervention and pyretic medicine are absolutely warranted at times, they aren’t my first line of defense for a mild fever or common cold.

When Should I Take My Child to the ER for a Fever?

In most cases, a fever is a healthy and natural immune response we should allow to run its course. There are exceptions, and in these cases, it is essential to seek medical care and make sure there is no severe problem. While I let most illnesses run their course in our home, I don’t hesitate to seek medical help immediately if the situation warrants it.

The need to talk to get medical advice quickly in cases like this is one of the many reasons why I’ve used telemedicine services where I can speak with a doctor online quickly. Of course, it doesn’t always replace going to a local doctor or even the emergency room, but it is a helpful first step in evaluating a situation.

When to Go to the Doctor

In general, these are the times I seek medical attention for a fever. Still, a parent’s intuition/research and conversation with your healthcare provider are essential for determining when a fever is severe. I seek help when:

  • A child under three months has a fever over 100.4? or exhibits any serious symptoms
  • A fever over 104? (this can signal a more severe infection or poisoning)
  • Fever for more than two consecutive days
  • Other symptoms like stiff neck, listlessness, or sensitivity to light
  • The person is unable to hold down food for more than a few hours or shows any signs of dehydration
  • Refusal to drink water
  • Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, or any sign of respiratory distress (Seek immediate help)
  • The person has been exposed to toxins or poisons that may have caused the fever
  • My mother’s intuition says there is something more serious going on, even if the child appears fine

Of course, I am a mom, not a doctor, and the above are my personal guidelines. You will want to come up with your own together with your doctor’s advice.

Natural Remedies for Fever

While I try to avoid unnecessary over-the-counter medications to treat fever, I’m also not in favor of letting an ill person suffer any more than is necessary. Fortunately, there are some easy home remedies to comfort the afflicted without drugs or medicine. For most illnesses, this is my protocol:

  • Lots of fluids – for hydration and help the body flush the illness. We stick to water, my electrolyte recipe with lemon juice, and herbal teas like chamomile, peppermint, or catnip.
  • Double doses of fermented cod liver oil – which seems to greatly reduce the duration of the illness and also gives the ill person important immune-boosting nutrients. We use capsules for adults and gel for kids who can’t swallow pills. I also give this daily to all family members to help boost immune function so the body can handle illness more quickly.
  • Probiotics – to support immune and gut health. You’ve probably heard the saying, “All disease begins in the gut.” Probiotics, but especially during illness.
  • Apple cider vinegar with the mother – for an extra boost of good bacteria.
  • Elderberry syrup – to boost immune function and make the ill person more comfortable. Here’s a recipe to make your own that’s cheaper than store-bought options.
  • Homemade elderberry popsicles – that I make and keep in the freezer for when anyone has a sore throat.
  • Vitamin C – that’s also packed with antioxidants.
  • Bone broth and homemade soups – to nourish and provide nutrients that aid in healing.
  • Coconut oil – small doses mixed into food or smoothies for its antibacterial and antiviral properties.
  • Hot water baths – with Epsom salts or magnesium and a sprinkle of powdered ginger to help alleviate muscle aches.
  • Peppermint tea and ginger tea – also work for head and muscle aches associated with an illness.
  • Natural sleep tincture or chamomile tincture to help soothe achy muscles and promote relaxing sleep if anyone is achy or having trouble resting comfortably.
  • Feverfew – I don’t generally recommend it for kids without a doctor’s advice, so check with yours, but this herb has natural anti-inflammatory health benefits.
  • Homeopathic remedies – like Genexa’s cold crush.

TIP: I highly recommend printing out a version of this and keeping it on hand in a cabinet with the remedies if you become ill. Even though I am the one to help a family member when they don’t feel well, I’m often not the best at remembering to do these things when I’m sick. This way, my husband can help me remember to do these things when I’m under the weather.

More From Wellness Mama

This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Jennifer Walker, an internal medicine physician. As always, this is not personal medical advice, and we recommend that you talk with your doctor or work with a doctor at SteadyMD.

What do you do when a family member is sick? Have any natural remedies for fever? Share them below!

Fever is a natural response by the body and is part of the healing process. Find out why reducing a fever can be bad and what to do instead.
Sources
  1. U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2020). Fever: Medlineplus medical encyclopedia. MedlinePlus.
  2. Leung, A. K., Hon, K. L., & Leung, T. N. (2018). Febrile seizures: an overview. Drugs in context, 7, 212536.
  3. Geddes L. (2020). The fever paradox. New scientist (1971), 246(3277), 39–41.
  4. Ghanem, C. I., Pérez, M. J., Manautou, J. E., & Mottino, A. D. (2016). Acetaminophen from liver to brain: New insights into drug pharmacological action and toxicity. Pharmacological research, 109, 119–131.
  5. Kim, M., Lee, E. J., & Lim, K. M. (2021). Ibuprofen Increases the Hepatotoxicity of Ethanol through Potentiating Oxidative Stress. Biomolecules & therapeutics, 29(2), 205–210.

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Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

243 responses to “Why I Don’t Reduce a Fever – And What I Do Instead”

  1. Sarah Avatar

    Katie, I love your website! My sister was the first to share it with me. This article in particular has really helped. I’m currently battling a sore throat/fever and while it might take longer to endure the fever, I’ve found all your remedies help soothe and comfort me as I ride it out, epsom salt baths, herbal teas, etc. I also LOVE your morning protein smoothie recipe. I’ve got my family hooked on it as well. I really appreciate the work you do in sharing your natural remedies. God bless you in all your endeavors.

  2. Dani Avatar

    I have a five year old granddaughter who has survived without vaccinations or ever having taken medication of any kind (including, but not limited to the hepatitis shots that are given AT BIRTH and the erythromycin eye ointment placed in a newborn babies eyes “in case” the mother has an infection). When she has a fever the only thing my granddaughter is given is water – any other substance given (tea with processed honey, etc.) has ALWAYS resulted in immediate regurgitation. When she has an allergic reaction (which, in my own personal experience is not necessarily a reaction to a particular substance but an overload of toxins in the body that comes to a head when a certain capacity is reached) she is given water. I shudder to think of what could happen to her if she were given some hideous otc medication during this urgent yet cleansing crises. Yes, cleansing.
    Most, if not all children get a fever IMMEDIATELY after being innoculated with various quantities of mercury, msg, formaldehyde and a host of other things contained in vaccinations. We read labels on everything in the grocery store (that’s another topic altogether) and yet never question “healthcare professionals” about what’s in the vaccination. The author of this article has explained what a fever is. Ask yourself why your baby gets a fever after given a vaccination at their “wellness” visit to the doctor.
    I take offense to the “healthcare professional” who has said that she never heard anyone say they should “do nothing” in response to a fever. Only someone in the billion dollar “healthcare” industry or someone who has done no research or experimentation (yes, experimentation, what do you thing the “healthcare professionals” are doing to you and your children?) could say this – it’s a natural response in defense of their position. But that’s besides the point. What’s wrong with doing nothing? A fever in itself is not the problem, it’s the cure for the problem. Why do something to hinder it’s work? Drugs, on the other hand are a bandaid solution that never addresses the real issue. If it did, the pharmaceutical companies would go out of business. Know anybody on medication for an illness? I do. It never cured them. How do I know? They’ve been on it for years and will probably be on it for the duration of their life. Your health and the health of your children are your responsiblity. Don’t put it in the hands of an industry that stands to make billions from your demise. “Healthcare professionals” don’t make money when you are healthy. They only make money when you are sick.
    At the very least, I’d say It’s worth looking into.

    1. Jay Avatar

      Again… look at infant mortality in the third world. The fact that your granddaughter is healthy has a whole lot to do with the fact that children have been immunized. Diseases like polio are “natural.” The bubonic plague is natural. Western medicine has made childhood much less lethal than it used to be. But for people like you, whose idea of history is what you had for breakfast, science is evil. I bet that evil science doesn’t keep you off your satellite TV.

      1. Holman Avatar

        Ummm, have you ever even been to a third world country?? The sickness there is almost always a result of poor diet, bad hygiene and/or unsanitary living conditions. My brother lives in Honduras and sees these kids in the “cleaner regions” taking baths AND having bowel movements under the same spigot in a hole in the ground. But if surroundings get cleaner or “healthier”, equip them with sanitation knowledge and better diet, and ultimately the people get healthier. Vaccines are all in theory. Never had one stitch of evidence or proof. Australia’s mandatory vaccinations got shut down, 50% of the people opted out, 50% of diseases dropped…look it up. Theres been MANY more instances in many different countries, of course no one will advertise that on google. Coincidence…not a chance.

    2. Allison Avatar

      You get a fever when you have a vaccination for the SAME reason you have a fever when you are sick. Your body is mounting an immune reaction to the vaccine. Which means you make memory cells so that next time you come in contact with the bug, your body “knows” it even though it has never seen it. Vaccines are NOT bad for your kids. The diseases we vaccinate against ARE. Occasionally there are adverse reactions due to allergies, etc. But that does NOT discount all the good that vaccines do. You know what else can cause adverse reactions that can kill people? Peanuts. Are peanuts bad?

      I am ALL for natural stuff. With the exception of vaccinations. You don’t know what it’s like to watch a baby die from pertussis because some fool allowed their unvaccinated kid to be around the baby when they had a cough which turned out to be pertussis. BABIES DIE FROM THAT. And, the erythromycin eye drops you rant against? Given because MANY women carry group B streptococcus in their vaginas. (You know what else women carry in their vaginas? The strep that makes the toxin causing toxic shock syndrome.) And if newborns get GBS in their eyes, they can GO BLIND.

      But, by all means, continue to eschew all medical knowledge because “medical professionals” make SO much money off you when you are sick. (P.S. There are increasing numbers of resistant bacteria and fewer and fewer new antibiotics because they are NOT profitable. AND, vaccines are one of the LEAST profitable aspects of medical care that can be given. You know who DOES make boatloads of money off you? The anti-vax “doctors” who sell you all sorts of products that do nothing.)

      Going all natural is commendable. Foregoing vaccines is NOT. Saying doctors are trying to keep you sick to make a profit is EXTREMELY offensive to them. They have spent DECADES going to school, learning how to SAVE YOUR LIFE. They are human and sometimes make mistakes, but EVERY doctor I’ve EVER met has had a good heart and has done everything they do to try to make your lives easier. If they just wanted to get rich, I guarantee there are easier and more lucrative ways to do so.

      1. Alex Avatar

        Sorry but you are wrong about babies going blind over GBS, the drops in the eyes are not given for GBS, they are given for STDs, chlamydia and gonorrhea, for which women are tested during pregnancy, so giving them is just assurance for the few cases that no test was done or the partner was unfaithful and the woman got infected after the test in her 1st trimester. For GBS, eye drops don’t do a thing, since it may cause sepsis or meningitis in a small percentage of babies born to GBS positive women, not blindness. If you are positive, they treat you with IV antibiotics while in labor.
        I was GBS positive and didn’t get IV antibiotics, and my baby was fine, The risk is very small and depends on several factors, like did your water break early, was there any fever during labor etc. She also didn’t get the eye drops and she didn’t go blind, since I didn’t have any STDs.

    3. shelly Avatar

      And if she has an allergic reaction that closes her throat how will water help then.

  3. Morley Avatar

    I can appreciate most of the pointers in this article, however I believe that we should leave the medical advice to the medical professionals.

  4. Mary Avatar

    I generally agree on letting the immune system do its job. Fever is a good thing, and many pediatricians will even tell you there’s no need for concern until it gets into the 104 – 105 range. But the garbage about “toxins” and natural remedies is a load of crap. The only truly natural method is letting the immune system work the way it’s supposed to. Using goofy herbs and supplements is anything BUT natural.

  5. Jessica Kannel Avatar
    Jessica Kannel

    Love your page! I am currently working on a website myself and you are very even with my beliefs on many things! Just thought I would stop in and say hi! 🙂

  6. Stephanie Warrad Avatar
    Stephanie Warrad

    I will put peppermint oil mixed in a carrier oil on my children’s feet, forehead and neck after a bath. I also feed them only raw fruit and vegetables during sickness, I heard to do this from Woody Harrelson who follows Dr.Cousen’s.

  7. Paula Holland Avatar
    Paula Holland

    As from studying in nursing school my text books say different. Seizures and potential brain damage is not something I play with. Although I hate giving my kids tyenol I do only when nothing else works to bring down fevers.

    1. Mary Avatar

      Millions of years of evolution of the immune system overrule your textbooks. Fever isn’t a problem unless there’s something else seriously wrong with the body.

  8. Razel Avatar

    Homeopathic remedies can do wonders for all kind of fevers. I recommend Homeopathic Medicine for Children and Infants by Dana Ullman.

  9. Hong Doo Avatar

    your info is vastly incorrect and inept much like most of the medical community. a fever is simply caused by heat heating up your body. Active sweating is a sign of rising and extreeme high bloodpressure and fever. You may give yourself one going jogging or doing cardio and check yourself. you may also visit a hot steam room. fevers accelerate weight loss wich causes dehydration symptoms and heat exhaustion.go jogging/biking then check your bodytemps please then bloodpressure.the more weight you loose, the longer you keep your bodytemp high, the worse you will feel when you have verified this excersizing this is happening. fevers cause heat exhaustion/stroke and can lead to hypothermia/coma situations. you may go jogging for 3-4 hours straight and watch what happens to your body. during a fever blood is lost in the form of sweat, water is starved from the body. dehydration symptoms in an illness are animec reactions to loosing blood in the form of sweat from evaporation by heat and sweating. your body can generate and store heat from its environment through friction, blood rubs against arterie walls generating bodyheat increases.

  10. Luna Avatar

    Thank you for this
    But I’ve been so sick lately and I don’t know why I haven’t been running a fever or anything! Why?

  11. Rodney Slovakas Avatar
    Rodney Slovakas

    Well this is a little concerning, especially regarding children. I note that you say “in most cases, a fever less than 103 will not cause brain damage”. In most cases….so what happens if your not most cases, its a bit late if your child does end up with brain damage. Also the casual way in which you refer to Febrile Seizures is a worry as well.
    Now you may say “what do you know”…well I am one who when I get a fever it rises and rises till it either kills me or someone brings it down. So far it has bought me very near death 5 times in my life, the last time being the worst. I start off with a normal fever of around 38-39 degrees, which when its ready spikes into the mid 40’s within an hour. When this happens the onset of delirium accompanies the rise in temp, along with crippling pain and very rapid dehydration.
    Now I know that not everyone is going to react as severely as me but I do feel the need to point out that some do, and if your child is one of them imagine how rat sh!t you will feel afterwards if the child does end up with brain damage, or dead.

  12. Aj Garcia Avatar
    Aj Garcia

    I’m curious. I am 26 and I was recently diagnosed with mononucleosis (ebv virus). I am currently in the recovery stage as my blood tests indicate that I am not fighting of an infection. Although I feel a little better every day I still get fevers. Nothing that goes over 102, but I’m still a bit worried about the consistency of them. I take Tylenol or Motrin if they start getting close to 102, but I really don’t want to depend on these meds to solve the problem as they can be hard on your liver and or kidneys. Any advice out there?

  13. karla blanco Avatar
    karla blanco

    Why do kids get a fever so often. .. in my case my 3 year old gets a fever every month it take a week to go alway

  14. Sasha Grigsby Avatar
    Sasha Grigsby

    My son never runs a small fever. For his last ear infection, he ran over 105! He rips a high fever for the smallest of things. What would you recommend?

  15. Patricia Hurd Avatar
    Patricia Hurd

    I drink GT’s kombucha for my probiotics, detoxifier and natural energy booster with no crash effect that coffee has.

    1. christina Avatar
      christina

      I don’t treat any fever in my daughter until they hit 103 and then I employ
      naturopathic medications to bring it down and even than I dose on the low side since I am only trying to lower not kill the fever. The hate you are getting about this article is a pretty good indication you are correct since it seems to be the good information that gets the medical establishment all up in arms. I hope it doesn’t discourage you from spreading the word about healing ourselves naturally because people truly need the facts set before them. I know , When my daughter contracted mrsa from her doctor’s office, was cut open and basically tortured with nothing for pain for the longest 10 minutes of my life, was than given the wrong antibiotic for it therefore sending it into overdrive and her poor 2 year old system into chaos, had them ignore me when I tried to tell them she was getting worse until their precious 10 days was up at which point they wanted to admit her and prep for surgery ….I well freaked out. I pulled her completely out of mainstream care and we jumped down the rabbit hole of online information together. We surfaced about 6 months ago after a long long year with her 100 percent better (no outbreaks for 6 months and counting) but I have a very different understanding of how hard it is a frantic scared to death parent trying to separate false/dangerous information from the information that could literally save your child’s life. We need trusted sources for information when we are so scared we can barely make sense of what we are trying to read. Feeling like you are all alone with no one to trust and nowhere to turn fighting for your child’s health and/or very life is hands down the worst experience ever. Please don’t hesitate to share what you know…what seems small may be the missing piece in a bigger battle some parent somewhere is fighting and too often is fighting alone.

  16. BK Avatar

    Fantastic resources for treating fever. Ever since I read that fever is the body natural reaction to infection, I have done my best to let the body recuperates on his own with lots of fluid and fruits and vegetables. It may take longer to heal at time … yet it is natural.

  17. Nina Vale Avatar
    Nina Vale

    Thank you so much for this blog post. I thought I was the only one that let a fever ride. I just got over the flu myself after a week and the only time I took any medication it was for the uncomfortable pain in my joints and muscles. Of course it took my fever down and made me sweat uncontrollably, but within hours my fever was back up and I let it run its course. I take a lot of heat, pardon the pun, from a friend of mine who swears I should treat the fever immediately with Tylenol, instead of letting the body do its job. Certainly, if a fever rose up over 39.9 C I would use medication to bring it down and if it went back up immediately, I would have my child seen by a doctor, but by and large, it’s okay to let a fever ride if there are no other symptoms like a severe sore throat (strep), pain in leg (bone infection), etc.

  18. Theresa Avatar

    I was wondering if you could add to the reason to seek medical attention anyone with a pre-existing condition such as cancer. I read through some of the comments and didn’t see that mentioned. But as a patient myself who had to deal with what would be considered a low-grade fever (100.5) while undergoing treatment, a fever at that level is incredibly dangerous. White blood cell counts are significantly lower and the body is not capable of fighting at a normal level. I just feel it’s important to make that distinction.

  19. Lori Avatar

    I have a very respected, traditional pediatrician. When I took my first child there in 1982, he educated me on the importance of fever as the body’s natural way of fighting infection. Then and now, this doctor is regularly written up in journals as one of the top 10 pediatricians in our urban area.

    I agree with nearly everything written up. Although I am not a medical professional, what I think here is learned from them in my years as a patient and parent. I would add to the list of times to see the doctor tondo so if your child is clearly in pain (as would be the case if the eardrums are so infected they are at risk of bursting). Also, we generally did choose to medicate at night, both so the chiod and we could get much needed rest and because, if the fever has been on the high side, we would be less able to monitor it at night. But that’s a personal choice, not a requirement.

    Yes tobacco, arsenic, belladona etc are all natural and very toxic. After years of using that quote myself to support the ‘natural doesn’t mean safe’ statement, I am now modifying it. I was given aspirin as a child (which, by the way, is a product that comes from willow bark), but when my kids were youg, aspirin had become unadvisable (Reye’s Syndrome) and we were told to use acetominophen (i.e., Tylenol) instead. Now there are growing concerns about Tylenol. This is true of so many things – one generation thinks they are safe, the next finds out they were not.

    So my new mantra is that while there are plenty of natural toxins to be avoided, natural products in use are often safer because they have beeb around so long humans have

  20. Megan Yoder Avatar
    Megan Yoder

    My son had a fever 10 months ago (age 3) it got to 103. The book I have and get information from is called, “be your own doctor” and it said: soak 2 washcloths in ORGANIC APPLE CIDER VINEGAR (with the mother) and place one on child’s forehead and the other on his tummy, it will break the fever in a n hour.I tried it… in an hour the fever went down. He was good as new the next day. Praise the Lord. 🙂

    1. Mary Avatar

      I hope you realize you kept him sick longer by reducing the fever, which was his immune system’s natural way of dealing with a virus.

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