Fever is often misunderstood as a bad thing, but it's actually one of the oldest defenses against disease. When the body detects an invader, it triggers a systemic response to increase its temperature, making it harder for the invader to survive. This response is triggered by pyrogens, which float away from the battlefield and pass into the brain, where they crank up the internal thermostat.
As the body temperature rises, the skin cools down, but the insides burn. This is a serious energy investment, and the body burns about 10% more calories to stay alive for every degree Celsius the body temperature rises. Fever is also a strong order to lay down and rest, saving energy and giving the immune system time to fight back.
The immune system tries to stress out the invaders as much as possible by ordering inflammation and fever. The heat causes the invaders' organs to break, their membranes to rupture, and their DNA to be damaged. The invaders are seriously suffering from the heat, and the immune system takes advantage of this to attack and kill them.
However, if the body adapts to the fever, it can become a handicap, making it harder for the invaders to infect new victims. This creates an evolutionary dilemma, and pathogens like measles use hit-and-run tactics to evade the immune system.
While fever is an effective part of the immune system, it's not always necessary to fight it. In fact, research suggests that for temperatures below 40°C (104°F), fever is not dangerous and doesn't need to be treated. However, there are exceptions, such as pregnant women, seniors, and seriously weakened patients, for whom the extra stress may be dangerous.
In general, it's fair to say that suppressing fever with medication may not be the best approach, as it can interfere with the immune system's ability to fight off infections. Instead, it's recommended to speak with a doctor and consider the individual's specific situation before deciding whether to fight fever.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Life on Earth thrives between -10°C in deep cool pools and 120°C in thermal vents.
2. Every animal or microbe has a temperature range that's ideal and one that's stressful but survivable for a while.
3. Humans are warm-blooded animals and their bodies expand a lot of energy to keep them around 37°C or 98.6°F.
4. This temperature makes humans almost entirely immune to one of the worst killers and parasites, fungi.
5. Fever is a defensive climate change that pushes an invader outside its ideal temperature range.
6. Fever evolved at least 600 million years ago and is widespread, with most animals increasing their core temperature when they're sick.
7. Fever is part of the first line of defense triggered by a diverse group of chemicals called pyrogens.
8. Pyrogens float away from the battlefield and pass into the brain, where specialized receptors pick them up and crank up the internal thermostat.
9. Fever is a systemic body-wide response and is a serious energy investment for the body, with the body burning about 10% more calories to stay alive for every degree Centigrade the body temperature rises.
10. Fever is also a strong order to lay down and rest to save energy and give the immune system time to fight back.
11. Fever is an effective part of the puzzle of the immune system, helping to attack and stress enemies from as many angles as possible.
12. For temperatures below 40°C or 104°F, fever is not dangerous and doesn't need to be treated.
13. Fever over 40°C is dangerous to anybody because it's most likely caused by the internal heat monitor failing.
14. There is very little clinical evidence that stopping fever leads to better health outcomes.
15. Suppressing fever can be beneficial for patients who should not have fever, such as pregnant women, seniors, and seriously weakened patients.
16. Fever can be beneficial for the body, but it's not always necessary to let it run its course, and the decision to suppress it depends on individual circumstances.
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