If you or one of your children was not feeling well and began to run a fever, what would you do?
If you’re like 96% of the people in our country, you’d probably rush off to the drug store to get some acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), take the proper dose and watch closely until the fever came down.
And once it did, you’d feel a sense of relief.
Now, if it spiked back up again, out would come the Tylenol or Advil artillery again until the fever finally retreated for good.
Unfortunately, lowering a fever with drugs is probably the worst possible thing you can do!
Because contrary to popular belief, a fever is not the demon people think it is.  It’s actually an indication that your immune system is kicking in and working to make you better.
And it shouldn’t be interfered with!
Let’s take a closer look at what a fever really is, and why in the vast majority of cases it’s a friend—not a foe.
Note from Dawn: This thermometer is awesome! If you are looking for an easy and reliable way to take your family’s temperature, you’ll love this:

Why to treat a fever naturally is a more logical option:

Fever 101—what’s really going on?

First of all, if you contract an infection or virus, it means that your immune system wasn’t quite strong enough at that moment to fight it off without it taking hold of you to some degree.
An initial rise in temperature in this case is a sign that your immune system is being challenged and it’s rising up to “accept the challenge”—and your increased temperature allows your immune system to function at a higher level.
You see, as your core temperature rises, it activates certain immune cells (called lymphocytes) that are able to destroy cells infected with viruses (as well as cancerous cells!)
The increase in your temperature also activates neutrophils, which are immune cells that target cells with bacterial infection. Plus the temperature increase also improves enzyme activity in your body to foster an environment that is unfriendly toward the harmful microbes.

Is it getting too hot in here?

Your immune system also knows that harmful microorganisms can only survive within specific temperature ranges.
So your immune system turns up your internal furnace just enough to kill off the bad guys and thus drastically reduces their population (and ability to do harm) in your body.
Here’s what I mean—your normal body temperature is 98.6° Fahrenheit, and a fever is defined as having an oral temperature that exceeds 100.4 °.
Once you cross the fever threshold and your temperature reaches 101°, most harmful bacteria are unable to survive.  At 102° degrees, viruses are unable to reproduce and spread through your body.
Now, your immune system is brilliant—it also knows that if your temperature gets too high, some of your good bacterial will get killed off too.
Your body doesn’t want to raise your temperature to the point of killing off its good guys but it will if necessary—that usually happens if it’s in a state of extreme infection.  It’s kind of like going to battle—any army in history has known that it will lose some of its soldiers in a battle, but the entire army unites to win the war.
 

Don’t bother me!

Now that you see exactly what a fever is and know what your immune system is doing behind the scenes, you can have a better understanding as to why it shouldn’t be interfered with by taking pain relievers!
When you run a fever and subsequently pop acetaminophen or ibuprofen, the drugs do quickly lower your temperature, but they also silence your body’s natural defenses and cripple the development of your immune system!
As a result, you end up allowing the invading dangerous organisms to survive inside of you and make you sicker and sicker.
So what do you do then?
Well, again if you’re like most people, you go to the doctor and report that you’ve had a fever and still aren’t getting any better.
And what are you usually given?
Antibiotics, of course!
This makes the problem even worse—not better.
You see, while the antibiotics may arrest any dangerous bacterial action going on inside of you, they also happen to destroy your friendly intestinal flora—where 70% of your (already weakened) immune system resides!
And if your illness is viral?  The antibiotics don’t do diddily squat for it, but they still kill off your beneficial gut flora and further weaken your immune system.

How to treat a fever naturally: Gimme a chance!

Now you’re probably wondering what you should do next time you or someone in your family runs a fever.
Well, my friend, Nature always takes care of us, and your immune system is no exception to that.
First of all, fevers are typically self-limiting and short in duration—maybe a day or two.  To help your body along during the process and encourage the elimination of dangerous organisms, it’s important to drink lots of water, preferably with fresh squeezed lemon juice to make it more alkaline and help your electrolyte balance.
And of course, rest is essential during this time!
When fevers become dangerous is when they get up over 103° and/or last longer than 4 days.  At that point you may be risking damage to your vital organs and it’s imperative that you consult your doctor.
But even then many times taking a cool bath can be enough to bring your temperature down into a more acceptable range.  There are still a few (old fashioned) doctors around who would suggest a cool bath prior to administering any drugs for a fever.

Make it stronger overall

In addition to respecting the expert actions of your immune system, it’s also important to help make it strong and keep it strong.
Here are 4 super-effective immune health boosters that can quickly help whip your immune system into shape:

1. Get adequate rest

Your immune system “recharges” when you sleep, so make sure you consistently get adequate rest. The average person needs 7-9 hours of sleep per night, so if you’re getting less than that, better start turning in a little earlier.
You just may see a significant difference in your health if you do!

2. Keep it real

Your entire body is nourished by the naturally occurring nutrients in real foods, and that includes your immune system.
However, when you rely heavily on processed “fake” foods and refined carbs (especially soda and snack foods), not only does your body lack the nutrients it needs, but your immune system can see the junk as a toxin and get stressed.
Just one spoonful of sugar can depress your immune function for an hour or more!  Think about that next time you drink a “super gulp-sized” soda or chow down on half a bag of Oreos. Plus foods like these feed the harmful bacteria in your gut, which can then crowd out your friendly flora and greatly hamper your immune function.
Stick to real foods–fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy and whole grains.  Your whole body (including your immune system) will thank you.
And if you want suggestions on how to enjoy delicious real foods as well as to help keep your digestion humming and enhance nutrient absorption, Great Taste No Pain will tell you all you need to know.
Great Taste No Pain will show you how to structure easy to digest meals made of real foods that not only nourish you, but taste positively fantastic and are a breeze to prepare!

3. Make sure you have adequate B12

In addition to helping your body generate energy and keeping your thinking sharp and clear, vitamin B12 is also essential for a strong immune system.
B12 is crucial for the formation of red and white blood cells, which help boost your immune function.
Unfortunately, many people are deficient in B12, especially people over age 50, people who take acid reducers, vegetarians and people who have Crohn’s, colitis or IBS.
And even if you eat foods that are rich in B12 or take oral supplements, B12 is not easily absorbed through the GI tract…so chances are good you’re getting far less than what you think and what you need.
The easiest way to make sure you have enough is to supplement with a highly absorbable form of B12.
And Hydroxaden 2.5 B12 spray is your ticket here.
Hydroxaden 2.5 is a convenient way to get the B12 your body needs.  Just 5 sprays under your tongue gives you a full 2.5 mg of B12, and since it’s being absorbed directly into the bloodstream, there are no concerns with lack of absorbency through the GI tract.
And the Granddaddy of them all…

4. Probiotic supplementation

Since 70% of your immune system resides in your gut, it’s essential to make sure that you have a healthy population of beneficial bacteria lining your gut wall.
Having a healthy diet of real foods like I mentioned above is a good start, but for most people it’s not enough.  This is especially true for people under stress, who smoke, use antibiotics, antacids or other medications, are exposed to environmental toxins or who don’t always get adequate sleep.
That’s why supplementation is so helpful for just about everyone.
For a probiotic supplement that’s up to the challenge, Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula is as good as it gets.
One of Super Shield’s 13 superior friendly bacteria strains, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, has been shown to stimulate antibody production.
In addition, Super Shield also contains Bifidobacteria Lactis, which has high adhesion to human mucus.  That means it will stick to your colon wall to keep it strong and protective, which helps keep dangerous toxins and bacteria from leaking out into your bloodstream and making you SICK.
Be good to it and it will be good to YOU
Your immune system is not something to take lightly.
First of all, it’s important to let it do its job inside of you (and that includes fevers)!  There are no mistakes in Nature and that includes your immune system.  Give it a chance to do what it’s meant to do—keep you healthy.
And do as much as you can to help keep your precious immune system strong and smart.
If you do, you can reap the rewards of fewer or less severe illnesses and quite possibly, avoidance of more dangerous diseases (including cancer).
To your health,
Sherry Brescia
 

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