Fevers Can Be Good for You

A growing body of research says they’re mostly beneficial — especially in young kids. Here’s a doctor’s advice.

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“Give me a fever, and I can cure any disease.” — Hippocrates

Fever is one of the most misunderstood defense systems in the human body. Many people worry that fever is a sign of something dangerous. Parents give their kids Tylenol and ibuprofen the instant they spike a temperature and then flock to doctors to make sure their child does not have a serious infection. In fact, fever accounts for a whopping 20% of pediatric emergency department visits each year. As an emergency physician, this is a huge part of my clinical practice. And I am here to tell you fevers aren’t all bad.

Hooray for evolution. It turns out that increasing our body temperature is one of the great innovations of all time.

There is a significant body of growing evidence that suggests the benefits of fever are to be praised, especially in young children. Further research shows that most fevers are not the result of something serious, but are instead our body’s way of ridding itself of infection. Hooray for evolution. It turns out that increasing our body temperature is one of the great innovations of all time.

The benefits of a fever

Fever is a symptom — a physiologic response to an illness. Fever is not an illness unto itself, but rather a mechanism that our bodies use to fight off infection.

There is ample evidence that suggests fever is beneficial for children. It has been shown to slow the growth of bacteria as well as enhance immune system response. In a recent article in Immunity, Jianfeng Chen and colleagues from the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology found that fever enhances the function of specific white blood cells, like a heat-seeking missile finding its target to destroy the infection. Even for the sickest of the sick who require time in the intensive care unit, fevers have been found to be advantageous.

There is ample evidence that suggests fever is beneficial for children. It has been…