It is around this time of year that you see lots of people walking around with ruby-red noses and handkerchiefs permanently glued to their faces. The middle of winter is traditionally 'cold and flu season', and many people are horrified at the first sign of swollen glands and a rising temperature. But are these symptoms caused by a virus, or by their own body? And if it's the latter, does that mean that developing a fever could actually be a good thing?
The symptoms of a cold or flu are really the symptoms of your body fighting off that organism. Flushed face, cold sensations, increased heart rate, muscle tone and shivering are your body's way of raising the temperature to make life difficult for any virus or bacteria to multiply. The Joanna Briggs Institute at the Royal Adelaide Hospital agrees. "There is evidence to suggest that fever is an adaptive physiologic mechanism with beneficial effects", reads their official statement on joannabriggs.com.au.
Many people have little tolerance for flu symptoms, and use antipyretics (anti-fever) drugs such as Paracetamol to combat them. Yet a randomised control trial that compared paracetamol with a placebo found no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the duration of the fever or other detectable symptoms. And of course as with all medications these drugs have side effects. For example Paracetamol has been linked to hepatotoxicity (toxicity of the liver). States the Joanna Briggs Institute, “The routine maintained administration of Paracetamol to treat mild or moderate fever is not supported". So when people take these medications to help' their flu, that is exactly what they are doing, helping their flu survive and multiply, whilst at the same time risking possible adverse effects.
So if you have a raging fever, what should you do? Firstly, remember that it's a necessary part of your healing process, and needn't be interfered with. (If you are very concerned, or your fever is above 41.1 degrees Celsius, consult a health care practitioner.) Drink lots of filtered water and listen to what your body is telling you. If you feel cold, rug up; if you feel hot, take off some layers; if you feel tired, have a sleep. Avoid alcohol, tea and coffee as these drinks can cause slight dehydration. We should never forget how intelligent our bodies are, and that any symptoms they present are often for important self-healing reasons.
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