The value of illness and fevers.

Hippocrates taught that fever is the helpful response of the body to the process of disease. Our current view of infectious illness in children is that these episodes are caused by unseen viruses and bacteria that invade us, overwhelm our immune systems, and should be prevented, avoided, or gotten rid of as quickly and as aggressively as possible. A fever is a form of exercise for your immune system. If every time you get a fever you take Tylenol to address the issue you prevent the immune response from taking place. In exercise you have heard “if you don’t use it you lose it” well, the concept is also true with your immune system. Learn to support your immune system not stop it from working.