March 22, 2025
Erik Peper, PhD and Robert Gorter, MD, PhD
My child’s fever was 102 F° and I was worried. I made my daughter comfortable, gave her some liquids and applied a lemon wrap around the calves. Fifteen minutes later the fever was down by a degree and a half to 100.5 F.° I continue to check how my child was doing. I touched her forehead and noted that it became slightly cooler. By the next day the fever had broken, and my daughter felt much better.
Most people are worried when they or their children have a fever, as it may indicates an illness. They quickly rush to take a Tylenol or other medications to reduce the fever and discomfort. We question whether this almost automatic response to inhibit fever is the best approach. It is important to note that fever is seldom the cause of illness; instead, fever is the body’s response to support healing by activating the immune system so that it can fight the infection. In most cases, the fever may last for a day or two and then disappears. Watchful waiting does not mean, not seeking medical help. It means careful monitoring so that the fever does not go too high versus automatically taking medications to suppress the fever.
Although fever can be uncomfortable, in most casest is not something to be feared. Rather than suppressing it, allow the fever to run its course, as fevers can improve clinical outcomes. Research findings indicate that individuals who experience an increase in body temperature (i.e., a fever) have higher survival rates following infection (Repasky et al., 2013). Spontaneous remissions of cancer—altogether a rarer event—have been observed repeatedly in connection with febrile infectious diseases, especially those of bacterial origin (Kienle, 2012). Late in 19th and early 20th century, Prof Coley observed that in patients who had wound fever or fevers that were induced by injecting bacterial toxins, their cancer sometimes disappeared (Kienle, 2012). In the early 20th century, inducing fever with injecting a bacterial toxin became an acceptable and somewhat successful treatment strategy for treating cancer (Karamanou, et al., 2013; Kendell et al, 1969). It was even a fairly successful treatment for neuro-syphilis before advent of antibiotics. Malaria-induced fevers were used as a treatment for neurosyphilis from the 1920s until the 1950s,—the spiking fevers associated with malaria killed the bacteria that caused the syphilitic infection (Gambino, 2015). The fever therapy slowly disappeared as antibiotics (penicillin), chemotherapy and radiation tended to be more effective.
Although suppressing fever with medication may make you feel more comfortable, and in some cases allow a child to go to day care, it may be harmful. Dr. Schulman and colleagues at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine demonstrated in a randomized controlled study that, among similar patients admitted to the ICU, the risk of death was seven times higher for those who received fever-reducing medication compared to those who did not (Schulman et al., 2005).(Schulman et al., 2005).
Fever reducing medication may in rare cases lead to complications. For example, aspirin may cause stomach irritation and ulcers as well as being cofactor in Reye’s syndrome (Temple, 1981; Schrör 2007). While acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol), often given to young children, may increase the risk of allergic rhinitis and possibly asthma by the age of six (Caballero, et al., 2015; McBride, 2011). As McBride point out, there appears to be a correlation between acetaminophen use and asthma across all groups, ages and location. This correlation even holds up for mothers who took acetaminophen during pregnancy as their children have increased risk for asthma by age six.
As Bauer and colleagues (Bauer et al., 2021) point out: “Paracetamol (N-acetyl-p-aminophenol (APAP), otherwise known as acetaminophen) is the active ingredient in more than 600 medications (Excedrine) used to relieve mild to moderate pain and reduce fever. Research suggests that prenatal exposure to APAP might alter fetal development, which could increase the risks of some neurodevelopmental, reproductive and urogenital disorders. Pregnant women should be cautioned at the beginning of pregnancy to: forego APAP unless its use is medically indicated. This Consensus Statement reflects our concerns and is currently supported by 91 scientists, clinicians and public health professionals from across the globe.”
Finally, we wonder whether active fever suppression during childhood might condition the immune system not to initiate a fever response through the process of classical conditioning, thereby reducing the immune system’s overall competence. This could be a contributing factor to the increasing rates of allergies, immune disorders, and the earlier onset of certain cancers (Gorter & Peper, 2011). Specifically, if a person begins to develop a fever and medication was used to reduce it, over time the fever response may become automatically inhibited through covert classical conditioning.
Simple home remedy when having a fever?
1.Practice watchful waiting. This means monitoring the person and only use medication to reduce fever if necessary. When in doubt contact your physician. Remember, in almost all cases, fever is not the illness; it is the body’s response to fight the illness and regain health.
- Hydrate. When having a fever, we perspire and need more fluids. Thus, increase fluid intake. Almost all cultural traditions recommend drinking some fluids such as hot water with lemon juice and honey, chicken soup broth, etc.
- Reframe the experience as a healing experience versus an illness experience. For example, when a fever, reframe it possitively such as, I feel pleased that my body is responding and I trust that my body is fighting the illness well (or even better).
- Implement the following gentle self-care approaches (Schirm, 2018).
Lemon wrap around calves or feet may help reduce fevers by using the cooling properties of lemon and evaporating water. How to make lemon wraps:
• Fill a bowl with water that’s 2–3° C below your fever temperature.
• Add 1–2 lemon halves.
• Score the lemon peel with a knife to release essential oils.
• Mash the lemons in the water.
• Soak a cloth in the lemon water.
• Wrap the cloth around your calves from ankle to knee.
• Cover with a blanket and rest for 10–15 minutes.
• Repeat as needed.
“Tips for using lemon wraps
• Change the wraps when they become warm.
• If your feet get cold, stop using the wraps.
• Don’t over-bundle a child with blankets, as babies can’t regulate their body temperatures as well as adults.
The information in this blog is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. Consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website.
References
Bauer, A.Z., Swan, S.H., Kriebel, D. et al. Paracetamol use during pregnancy — a call for precautionary action. Nat Rev Endocrinol (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-021-00553-7
Caballero, N., Welch, K. C., Carpenter, P. S., Mehrotra, S., O’Connell, T. F., & Foecking, E. M. (2015). Association between chronic acetaminophen exposure and allergic rhinitis in a rat model. Allergy & rhinology (Providence, R.I.), 6(3), 162–167. https://doi.org/10.2500/ar.2015.6.0131
Gambino, M. (2015). Fevered Decisions: Race, Ethics, and Clinical Vulnerability in the Malarial Treatment of Neurosyphilis, 1922-1953. Hastings Center Report. https://doi.org/10.1002/hast.451
Gorter, R. & Peper, E. (2011). Fighting Cancer: A Nontoxic Approach to Treatment. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books. https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Cancer-Nontoxic-Approach-Treatment/dp/1583942483
Karamanou, M., Liappas, I., Antoniou, C.h, Androutsos, G., & Lykouras, E. (2013). Julius Wagner-Jauregg (1857-1940): Introducing fever therapy in the treatment of neurosyphilis. Psychiatrike = Psychiatriki, 24(3), 208–212. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24185088/
Kendell, H. W., Rose, D. L., & Simpson, W. M. (1969). Fever therapy technique in syphilis and gonococcic infections. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation, 50(10), 603–608. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4981888/
Kienle G. S. (2012). Fever in Cancer Treatment: Coley’s Therapy and Epidemiologic Observations. Global advances in health and medicine, 1(1), 92–100. https://doi.org/10.7453/gahmj.2012.1.1.016
McBride, J.T. (2011). The Association of Acetaminophen and Asthma Prevalence and Severity. Pediatrics, 128(6), 1181–1185. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-1106
Repasky, E. A., Evans, S. S., & Dewhirst, M. W. (2013). Temperature matters! And why it should matter to tumor immunologists. Cancer immunology research, 1(4), 210–216. https://doi.org/10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-13-0118
Schirm, J. (2018). Essentials of homecare-A gentle approach to healing. Holistic Essence. https://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Home-Care-II-Approach/dp/0692121250
Schulman, C. I., Namias, N., Doherty, J., Manning, R. J., Li, P., Elhaddad, A., Lasko, D., Amortegui, J., Dy, C. J., Dlugasch, L., Baracco, G., & Cohn, S. M. (2005). The effect of antipyretic therapy upon outcomes in critically ill patients: a randomized, prospective study. Surgical infections, 6(4), 369–375. https://doi.org/10.1089/sur.2005.6.369
Schrör K. (2007). Aspirin and Reye syndrome: a review of the evidence. Paediatric drugs, 9(3), 195–204. https://doi.org/10.2165/00148581-200709030-00008
Temple, A.R. (1981). Acute and Chronic Effects of Aspirin Toxicity and Their Treatment. Arch Intern Med, 141(3), 364–369. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1981.00340030096017