Fever
How Do You Weigh the Benefits and Risks of Aspir…
Aspirin has been around for over 100 years. Moreover, it is one of the most versatile drugs in the pharmacy. This tablet relieves pain, lowers fever and reduces inflammation. In addition, it has anti-…
When Do You Need to Lower Your Child’s Fev…
Fever is the body’s response to infection. It can help keep pathogens from replicating and alert the immune system to produce more antibodies. However, many parents are quick to act to bring down a …
Show 1285: The Plant Hunter’s Quest for Na…
Cassandra Quave is an explorer and an ethnobotanist uncovering potential ways that plants can benefit human health. She has a particular interest in multi-antibiotic resistant infections. Not only do …
Can You Trust Touchless Thermometers?
Last February, there were news clips of Chinese health workers pointing gun-like devices at peoples’ foreheads. No, they weren’t shooting travelers. They were just taking their temperatures. Now, …
Lowering a Fever with Advil or Tylenol
Doctors have a big word for drugs that are good at lowering a fever. They call them antipyretics. You probably recognize the Greek prefix anti. It basically means against. Pyretos is fever, stemming f…
Show 1233: How Does Your Immune System Overcome …
One of the striking things about the COVID-19 pandemic is how differently people respond. Some people contract the virus but never really have symptoms, while others land in the hospital struggling fo…
Can COVID-19 Symptoms Last for Weeks?
After a recovery, how long do COVID-19 symptoms last? Although we are now about ten months into this pandemic, we simply don't have enough information to answer that question definitively. Researchers…
How Can You Get a Fever Down Without Drugs?
What do you do to get a fever down? Most people rely on medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, MotrinIB). While these drugs can reduce a temperature, they may not be ne…
We Blew It With the Q: When to Treat a Fever?
A few weeks ago we asked the question: “When Should You Treat a Fever?” The subhead was: “Elevated temperature can help the body recruit the immune system against infection. That's why you may n…
When Should You Treat a Fever?
The worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 has re-ignited an old controversy. When should you treat a fever, and when should you leave it alone? Fever is one of the primary early symptoms of this coronavirus …
Will the 2019/2020 Flu Season Be Terrible?
How bad will the 2019/2020 flu season get? Nobody knows for sure, but infectious disease experts say we are off to a rocky start. The 2019/2020 Flu Season Started Early: Last year, the flu season last…
Did the Maker Recall Ibuprofen for Your Baby?
Parents across the country have been alarmed today to hear that some brands of ibuprofen sold as fever medicine for infants have been recalled. What led the manufacturer, Tris Pharma Inc., to recall i…
Why It May Be Time to Throw Your Thermometer in …
A digital temple thermometer distributed by Bestmed is being recalled by the manufacturer. Digital Temple Thermometer Is Not Accurate: According to the FDA, some of these thermometers display temperat…
Acetaminophen Makes No Difference for Kids in th…
Doctors frequently prescribe acetaminophen to children who develop a fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit while they are in an intensive care unit. The thought is that by lowering their temperature, such…
Reducing Fever May Help Spread Flu
Taking popular fever-reducing drugs (such as acetaminophen, aspirin or ibuprofen) for the flu may increase the spread of the virus. A new study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B used…
Family Feuds Over Fever
When should you treat a fever? That question is not easy to answer. In part, it depends upon how ill the person feels aside from the elevated temperature. Is there pain? Congestion? Nausea and vomitin…
Should You Fight Fever When You Have Flu?
As we enter the season of sniffles, sneezes, coughs and fever, millions of Americans reach into their medicine cabinets for aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen. These drugs bring down an elevated temp…
Don’t Overtreat Children’s Fever
Aggressive treatment of children's fevers could be counterproductive. A new report in the journal Pediatrics points out that fever is a response to infection that is often beneficial. It slows the gro…